?- 


SCl^lPTDt^ES 
flSOUT 


Spiritiem? 


P^OOPS  THAT  IT  IS 


ALSO- 


XClbo  are  '*XIbe  Spirits  tn  prison"? 
TlnD  MbB  arc  Zbc^  Zbcxcl 


^ 


INTERNATIONAL 
BIBLE  STUDENTS  ASSOCIATION 

BROOKLTK,  LONDON,  MELBOURNE,  BARMEN,   COPENHAGKN, 
OREBRO,  CHRISTIANIA,  GENEVA 


4 


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Where  Are  the  Dead? 

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BOOKLETS. 

JEWISH  HOPES — Restoration  Prospects.    78  pp.    English  only. 

WHAT  SAY  THE  SCRIPTURES  ABOUT  HELL  }  88  pages.  Eng- 
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what    say    THE    SCRIPTURES    ABOUT   SPIRITISM  ?      128    pagCS. 

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TABERNACLE    SHADOWS    OF    BETTER     SACRIFICES.       Illustrated 

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ADDRESS  ORDERS  TO 

INTERNATIONAL   BIBLE  STUDENTS    ASSOCIATION 

BROOKLYN, 

lyONDON,  MELBOURNE,  BARMEN,  COPENHAGEN, 

OREBRO,  CHRISTIANIA,  GENEVA 


^^  Put  on  the  whole  arjnor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be 
able  to  stand  agaUist  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  our 
wrestling  is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against 
the  principalities,  agaiitst  the  foivers,  against  the 
world-rulers  of  this  darkiiess,  agaiiist  the  spiritual 
hosts  of  wickedness  in  the  heavenly  places.^'' — Eph, 
6:11^12,  American  Standard  Revised  Version, 


?  1> 

WHfl^T   SflV    TJiU 

SOl^lPT\ilRUS 

flfiOUT 


Spiritiem? 


PI^OOPS  THAT  IT  IS 


-ALSO- 


Wbo  are  '*ZDc  Spirits  in  prison":)!  ' 
HnD  laabi?  are  Ebeis  ^berel 


INTEKNATIONAL 
BIBLE  STUDENTS  ASSOCIATION 

BROOKLYN,  LONDON,  MELBOURNE,  BARMEN,   COPENHAGEN, 
OREBRO,  CHRISTIANIA,  GENEVA 


.JBRARt 

THE  NECESSITY  for  this^  little  brochure  lies  in  the 
fact  that  Spiritism  is  showing  an  increased  activity 
of  late,  and  meeting  with  considerable  success  in  en- 
trapping Christians  who  are  feeling  dissatisfied  with 
their  present  attainments  and  craving  spiritual  food  and 
a  better  foundation  for  faith. 

The  aim  is  to  show  the  unscripturalness  of  Spirit- 
ism, and  to  point  those  who  hunger  and  thirst  for  truth 
in  the  direction  of  God's  Word  —  the  counsel  of  the 
Most  High. 

*  Thou  shalt  guide  me  with  thy  comisel,  and  after^ 
"ward  receive  me  to  glory."-- Psa.  73  :  24. 


Sample  tracts  sent  free,  on  application  to 
WATCH  TOWER  BIBLE  &  TRACT  SOCIlirrY, 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 


^7. 


WHAT    SflV    TflH    SCHIPTU^HS 
ABOUT    SPIHITISP? 

PROOFS  THAT  IT  IS  DEMONISM. 


fH  AT  which  we  believe  to  be  the  truth  respedl- 
ing  Spiritism  is  antagonized  from  two  stand- 
points, (i)  The  majority  of  people  have  no  confidence 
in  Spiritism,  but  believe  its  claimed  manifestations  and 
proofs  are  fraudulent.  (2)  An  increasingly  large  num- 
ber are  disposed  to  deny  the  existence  of  the  evil  spirit 
beings  called  demons,  and  of  the  prince  of  demons, 
called  in  the  Scriptures  the  Devil  and  Satan. 
Rev.  Adam  Clark,  D.  D.,  has  well  said, — 
*  *Satan  knows  well  that  those  who  deny  his  being 
will  not  be  afraid  of  his  power  and  influence;  will  not 
watch  against  his  wiles  and  devices;  will  not  pray  to 
God  for  deliverance  from  the  Evil  One;  will  not  expedl 
him  to  be  trampled  down  under  their  feet,  if  he  has  no 
existence;  and,  consequently,  they  will  become  an  easy 
and  unopposing  prey  to  the  enemy  of  their  souls.  By 
leading  men  to  disbelieve  and  deny  his  existence,  he 
throws  them  off  their  guard.  He  is  then  their  com- 
plete master,  and  they  are  led  captive  by  him  at  his 
will.  It  is  well  known  that  among  all  those  who  make 
any  profession  of  religion,  those  who  deny  the  exist 
ence  of  the  Devil,  are  those  who  pray  little  or  none  at 
all;  and  are,  apparently,  as  careless  about  the  exist 

3 


4!)i.86Q. 


4  What  Saj^  the  Scriptures  f 

ence  of  God  as  they  are  about  the  being  of  the  Devil. 
Duty  to  God  is  with  them  out  of  the  question;  for  those 
who  do  not  pray,  especially  in  private^ —  and  I  never 
saw  a  devil-denier  who  did, — have  no  religion  of  any 
kind,  except  the  form,  whatever  pretentions  they  may 
choose  to  make. ' ' 

If  it  be  asked  how  Spiritism  could  do  injury  to 
those  who  consider  its  claims  to  be  deceptions  and 
frauds  and  its  votaries  to  be  dupes,  we  answer  that  a 
large  majority  of  its  votaries  are  those  who  atone  time 
thoroughly  and  heartily  denied  its  claims  and  consid- 
ered them  impositions.  Those  who  most  thoroughly 
disbelieve  in  Spiritism  are  often  the  most  ready  to  test 
its  professed  claims;  and  when  convinced  that  many  of 
its  claims  are  genuine  and  many  of  its  manifestations 
supernatural,  these  former  disbelievers  are  more  liable 
to  become  its  devotees:  whereas,  if  they  had  known 
just  what  Spiritism  is,  and  how  and  by  what  power  it 
operates,  they  would  be  on  guard,  and  their  judgment 
would  have  a  support  and  guidance  which  it  otherwise 
lacks.  It  is  the  lack  of  the  true  knowledge  of  Spirit- 
ism (imparted  through  the  Scriptures  and  confirmed 
by  indisputable  evidences  from  outside  the  Scriptures) 
which  causes  so  many  to  fall  a  prey  to  this  delusion. 
True,  there  are  frauds  committed  in  the  name  of  Spir- 
itism; but  these  are  chiefly  in  connedlion  with  attempt- 
ed *  'materializations. '  *  That  Spiritists  have  done  and 
can  do,  through  some  power  or  agency,  many  wonder- 
ful works  beyond  the  power  of  man,  has  been  abun- 
dantly proved  in  a  variety  of  cases— some  of  them  be- 
fore scientific  men,  total  unbelievers.  Tambourines 
have  beeu  played  while  in  the  air  beyond  the  reach  of 
human  hand  and  suspended  by  some  invisible  power; 
chairs  have  been  lifted  into  the  air  while  people  were 


spiritism— Demonism,  § 

sitting  upon  them,  and  without  any  connedlion  with 
any  visible  power  or  agency;  mediums  have  been  float- 
ed through  the  air,  etc.  The  rapping  tests,  the  table- 
tipping  tests,  the  autograph  tests  and  the  slate- writing 
tests  have  h^^n  proved  gv^x  and  over  again,  to  the  sat- 
isfa<5lion  of  hundreds  of  intelligent  people  in  various 
parts  of  the  world  And  Spiritism  reckons  amongst 
its  adherents  judges,  lawyers,  business-men  and  num- 
bers of  women  of  ability.  These  people  have  tested  the 
claims  of  Spiritism  and  have  candidly  avowed  their 
faith  in  it.  And  it  is  unwise,  to  say  the  least,  to  sneer 
at  such  as  focls  or  knaves — fools  if  simply  deluded  by 
tricks  and  slight  of  hand;  knaves  if  they  are  willingly 
and  knowingly  lending  their  time  and  influence  to  the 
perpetration  of  frauds. 

The  writer  was  inclined  to  be  skeptical  with  refer- 
ence to  all  the  various  claims  of  Spiritism  until  con- 
vinced to  the  contrary  by  a  Christian  man,  in  whose 
testimony  he  was  justified  in  having  full  confidence. 
This  friend  was  not  a  believer  in  Spiritism  but,  being 
thrown  into  the  company  of  some  Spiritists  for  an  even- 
ing, the  suggestion  was  made,  *%et  us  have  a  seance.'* 
The  company  present  assented;  our  friend  remaining 
from  curiosity.  They  sat  down  to  a  table,  placed  their 
hands  upon  it  in  the  usual  manner,  and  one  of  the 
number  present  being  a  medium  inquired,  **Are  there 
any  spirits  present  ?"  The  answer  indicated  by  raps 
upon  the  table — one  for  A,  two  for  B,  three  for  C,  etc. , 
spelled  out  the  information  that  spirits  were  present, 
but  that  they  would  hold  no  communication  that  even- 
ing. The  medium  asked  *' Why?'*  The  answer  rapped 
out  was,  **  Because  new  mediums  are  being  appointed 
all  over  the  United  States, ' '     The  company  was  disap- 


6  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

pointed  and  through  the  medium  asked  that  as  a  test 
the  name  of  some  prominent  person  dying  that  night 
should  be  communicated.  The  request  was  complied 
with  and  the  name  of  a  Russian  dignitary,  which  we 
cannot  now  recall,  was  spelled  out.  This  was  before 
the  Atlantic  cable  v^as  laid,  and  my  friend,  anxious  to 
test  the  matter,  kept  watch  of  the  newspapers  and  fi- 
nally, nearly  a  month  after  (the  time  requisite  for 
Russian  mails  in  those  da}/s)  he  saw  the  announcement 
of  the  death  of  the  Russian  notable  bearing  that  very 
name. 

Our  friend  was  convinced  that  Spiritism  was  not 
all  a  ''hoax,"  and  was  anxious  for  another  meeting. 
When  it  took  place,  in  view  of  the  answer  at  the  pre- 
vious meeting,  the  medium  inquired,  *'Are  there  any 
mediums  present?  and,  if  so,  how  many?"  The  answer 
was,  **Four."  The  medium  asked  the  spirit  to  please 
indicate  which  four  of  those  present  were  mediums, 
and  as  each  one  called  his  name  the  mediums  were  in- 
dicated by  a  rap  upon  the  table,  by  some  invisible 
agent.  Our  friend  was  one  of  those  indicated  and  right 
proud  he  felt  of  the  honor.  This  occurred  in  Wheel- 
ing, W.  Va.  Shortly  after  he  came  to  Allegheny,  Pa. , 
and  visited  an  aunt,  a  widow,  who  with  her  family  re- 
sided here.  Anxious  to  display  his  newly  conferred 
powers  as  a  medium,  he  asked  his  aunt  and  her  daughter 
to  join  him  in  a  * 'seance."  They  were  surprised,  and 
the  daughter  said,  **Why,  are  you  a  medium?  I  am 
a  rapping  medium  also,  brother  Harry  is  a  tipping 
medium  and  mother  is  a  writing  and  trance  medium." 
Our  friend  had  never  witnessed  the  powers  of  any  but 
rapping  mediums,  «nd  was  very  anxious  that  his  aunt 
should  display  the  powers  of  her  mediumship,  and  was 


shown  writing  done  by  her  which  was  an  exadl  fac- 
simile of  his  dead  uncle's  autograph  upon  checks.  And 
strange,  too,  his  uncle  wrote  a  fine  hand,  while  his 
aunt  could  not  write  at  all,  except  under  this  influence. 
Wishing  to  test  her  powers  as  a  talking  medium^ 
the  three  surrounded  a  small  table,  and  the  aunt  called 
for  a  spirit  to  communicate  through  her.  The  answei 
given  was  that  there  would  be  no  communication,  be- 
cause there  were  no  unbelievers  present  to  convince. 
They  persisted,  however,  and  got  the  aunt  to  call  again 
for  the  spirit.  The  answer  this  time  was  that  her  hands 
were  forcibly  lifted  from  the  table  and  brought  down 
upon  it  with  a  bang.  This  was  something  surprising 
to  them  all.  The  spirits  evidently  were  provoked  at 
the  pertinacity  of  a  second  call  after  their  refusal 
But  after  discussing  the  matter  for  some  ten  minutes 
our  friend  prevailed  upon  his  aunt  to  call  again  for  the 
spirits  and  see  what  else  would  happen.  She  complied, 
and  in  response  her  hands  were  lifted  from  the  table  and 
brought  down  with  fearful  concussion,  three  times  id 
rapid  succession,  sounding  as  tho  every  bone  would  be 
broken;  and  with  her  eyes  staring  out  wildly  and  shriek* 
ing  Oh!  Oh!  Oh!  she  jumped  from  the  table  in  a  semi- 
delirious  condition. 

That  spirit,  whoever  it  may  have  been,  was  evidently 
angry  and  wanted  it  understood  that  it  could  not  be 
trifled  with.  Our  friend  informs  us  that  never  after 
that  would  his  aunt  have  anything  to  do  with  Spiritism 
as  a  medium — she  had  caution  enough  to  let  it  alonCc 
But  our  friend  was  anxious  to  witness  the  powers  of  a 
*  *  tipping  medium, '  *  and  in  the  evening  when  his  cousin 
Harry  came  home  he  insisted  on  having  an  exhibition 
of  his  mediumship,    Harry  complied  and  amongst  othei 


S  What  Say  ike  Scripiures  f 

tests  was  tlie  following:— He  placed  a  small,  light  tabla 
in  the  center  of  the  flooi  and  said,  *'I  call  for  the  spirit 
of  our  old  dog  Dash  to  come  into  this  table.'*  Then 
addressing  the  table  he  said,  **Come  DashT*  The  table 
balanced  itself  on  two  feet  and  hobbled  after  him  around 
the  room. 

.  I  should  here  remark  that  our  friend  who  vouches 
for  these  matters  will  no  longer  exercise  any  of  his 
powers  as  a  medium.  He  is  a  prominent  Christian  man 
now  living  in  this  cityj  his  v'iews  with  reference  to 
Spiritism  are  now  the  same  that  we  are  here  endeavor- 
ing  to  present. 

The  claim  of  Spiritists  is,  that  these  manifestations 
and  communications  from  unseen  intelligences  are  from 
human  beings,  who  once  lived  in  this  world,  but  who, 
when  seeming  to  die  really  became  more  alive,  more  in- 
telligent, freer,  and  every  way  more  capable  and  com- 
petent than  they  had  ever  been  before.  It  is  claimed 
that  the  purpose  of  these  manifestations  is  to  prove 
that  the  dead  are  not  dead,  but  alive;— that  there  is  no 
need  of  a  resurredlion  of  the  dead,  because  there  are 
no  dead; — the  dead  being  more  alive  than  ever,  after 
passing  into  what  is  termed  death.  We  shall  not  stop 
here  to  show  how  inharmonious  all  this  is  to  the  testi- 
mony of  Scripture  upon  this  subjed,  but  merely  cite 
the  reader  to  the  Word  of  the  Lord;  reminding  him  that, 
**If  therebenoresurredlion  of  the  dead,  .  .  .  then  they 
also  which  are  fallen  asleep  in  Christ  are  peidshed.^^ — • 
I  Cor.  15: 13,  18;  Job  14: 21;  Psa.  146: 4;  Keel.  9: 5,  6. 
Here  is  the  point  of  infatuation.  As  soon  as  the 
unbeliever  in  Spiritism  has  been  convinced  that  an  un- 
seen intelligence  communicates  through  the  medium 
he  is  all  intereste     Nothing  else  offers  such  proofs  from 


invisible  sources  as  does  Spiritism;  and  many  seem  not 
only  willing  but  anxious  to  walk  by  sight  rather  than 
by  faith.  Every  one  has  friends  who  have  died,  and 
thousands  are  anxious  to  communicate  with  them  if 
possible,  and  to  receive  from  them  some  message  or 
some  advice.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  tp  find 
people  greatly  absorbed  in  these  matters,  and  very  will- 
ing to  be  diredled  by  those  whom  they  esteem  their 
truest  friends  and  most  competent  advisers. 

They  visit  a  medium  for  the  purpose  of  holding 
communication  with  the  dead.  The  medium  describes 
the  hair,  the  eyes,  etc.,  and  certain  little  peculiari- 
ties, such  as  a  mole  or  an  injured  or  deformed  finger 
or  foot  (which  the  father  or  son  or  sister  or  wife  iden- 
tifies as  the  description  of  the  loved  one  deceased) 
and  delivers  a  message  which,  however  vague  or  in- 
definite, is  construed  to  be  very  important.  The  no- 
vices are  filled  with  a  sort  of  reverent  joy  mixed  with 
a  humble  feeling  of  the  inferiority  of  their  own  condi- 
tion, and  with  a  pride  that  they  have  been  counted 
worthy  to  receive  communications  from  **the  spirit 
world,'*  while  so  many  good  and  great  people  are  not 
so  favored,  but  are  * 'blind  to  the  wonderful  fa(5ls  of 
Spiritism.*'  The  feelings  thus  started  are  somewhat 
akin  to  some  kinds  of  religious  feelings^  and  straight- 
way the  ''converts"  are  ready  to  believe  and  obey  the 
advice  and  instrudions  of  those  whom  they  believe  to 
be  so  much  wiser  and  holier  than  themselves,  and  so 
deeply  interested  in  their  welfare,  present  and  eternal, 
as  to  leave  the  joys  and  ministries  of  heaven  to  com- 
mune with  them  and  instrudl  them. 

The  majority  of  people  have  no  true  Christian 
'9ith  built  upon  the  foundAtl*^  ^f  the  Word  of  Qod 


£e  Whai  Saf  th§  Sctipiureif 

they  have  a  wish  for  a  future  life,  and  a  hope  with  ref« 
erence  to  their  dead,  rather  than  «/a;///^  with  reference 
to  either.  As  a  consequence,  their  minds  being  con- 
vinced that  they  have  had  communication  with  those 
beyond  the  giave,  everything  relating  to  the  future  life 
becomes  more  real  and  more  interesting  to  them  than 
ever  before.  And  many  such,  wholly  ignorant  of  re* 
ligious  feelings,  say  to  themselves,  Now  I  know  what 
it  is  to  havQ  faith,  and  a  religious  feeling  with  refer- 
ence to  the  future,  and  they  congratulate  themselves 
that  they  have  received  a  great  spiritual  blessing. 

But  this  is  only  the  £rst  lesson,  and  these  compar« 
atively  uplifting  experiences  belong  chiefly  to  it.  I<ater 
experiences  will  demonstrate,  as  all  Spiritists  will  free- 
ly acknowledge,  that  there  are  **evil  spirits,'*  "lying 
spirits,**  which  time  and  again  deceive  them;  and  the 
messages  and  revelations,  often  foolish  and  nonsensi- 
cal, gradually  lead  the  investigator  to  a  disbelief  of  the 
Bible  and  the  Creator,  while  it  teaches  and  exalts  **the 
spirits'*  as  the  only  sources  of  knowledge  aside  from 
nature;  and  thus  the  way  is  paved  toward  advanced 
lessons  on  **sphit-affinities,'*  **free  love,"  etc.  But 
after  the  first  deception  and  shaking  of  confidence  the 
explanation  that  there  are  **both  good  and  bad  spirits" 
is  generally  satisfadlory;  and  the  poor  vidlim  follows 
blindly  on,  because  assured  that  he  communes  with 
some  supernatural  power. 

As  an  illustration  of  this  we  mention  the  case  of 
an  old  gentleman,  a  Pittsburger,  an  avowed  Spiritist 
and  an  earnest  defender  of  Spiritism.  We  knew  some- 
thing of  his  history  through  a  mutual  friend;  how  that, 
while  holding  a  communication  through  a  medium, 
supposedly  his  **evoluted"  wife,  the  latter  said  to  Uim? 


spiritism — Demonism^  1 1 

**Jolin,  I  am  perfeAly  happy  only  for  one  thing;  and 
that  is  on  your  account."  He  answered,  *'0  Mary, 
do  not  allow  my  affairs  to  mar  your  bliss!  I  am  com- 
paratively happy  for  an  old  man  and  comparatively 
comfortable."  But  the  answer  came,  **0  no,  John, 
I  know  better.  I  know  that  you  are  lonely,  very  lone- 
ly, that  you  miss  me  very  much,  and  are  suffering  from 
lack  of  many  little  attentions;  and  that  your  home  is 
comparatively  dreary. ' '  Mr.  N.  had  full  confidence  in 
Mary's  judgment,  and  the  messagecarried  great  weight; 
and  his  home  and  its  affairs  gradually  grew  lesshappi- 
fying,  and  he  gradually  grew  dissatisfied;  and  so  at  a 
subsequent  * 'seance"  he  inquired  of  Mary  what  he 
could  do  that  would  relieve  her  burden  and  make  her 
bliss  complete.  She  replied  that  he  should  find  a  suit- 
able companion  and  re-marry.  But  the  old  gentleman 
(seventy  years  old)  objedled  that  even  if  he  could  find 
a  suitable  companion,  such  a  one  would  not  have  him. 
But  at  frequent  interviews  the  supposed  spirit  of  his 
wife  insisted,  and  as  he  thought  further  over  the  matter 
he  grew  more  lonely,  and  finally  asked  Mary  to  choose 
for  him,  as  she  had  so  much  better  judgment  than  any 
earthly  being  could  have  on  the  subjedl.  The  medium 
affe<fled  great  indignation  at  the  answer,  and  would 
not  communicate  it  at  first.  The  more  she  objedled  to 
giving  the  answer,  the  more  anxious  Mr.  N.  became 
to  have  it,  and  finally  the  medium  explained  that  the 
spirit  of  his  wife  had  said  that  Mr.  N.  should  marry 
her  (the  medium);  but  that  she  was  indignant  that  the 
spirit  should  think  that  she  would  marry  an  old  man 
like  him. 

But  the  more  Mr.  N.  thought  the  matter  over  the 
more  he  was  inclined  to  be,  as  he  supposed,  led  by  the 


12  What  S^y  the  Scriptures  f 

good  spirit  of  his  wife  into  ways  of  pleasantness  a  ad 
into  paths  of  peace;  and  he  urged  upon  the  medium 
that  it  was  the  duty  of  humanity  to  obey  the  behests 
of  their  best  f  rien  d s  in  the  * ' spirit  world. '  *  Finally  the 
medium  consented  that  if  he  xwuld  deed  over  to  her  what 
property  he  possessed  she  would  agree  to  follow  the 
diredlions  of  the  spirit  and  marry  him.  The  matter  was 
consummated  in  legal  form,  and  Mr.  N.  with  his  medium 
wife  and  her  daughter  proposed  to  make  the  formerly 
cold  and  cheerless  home  of  Mr.  N.  all  that  his  spirit- 
wife  had  wished  for  him.  It  was  a  very  short  time, 
however,  before  the  poor  old  gentleman  was  very  glad 
to  abandon  home  and  all,  to  get  free  from  the  two 
**she- devils,'*  as  he  afterward  knew  them. 

But  did  not  this  shake  the  confidence  of  Mr.  N. 
in  Spiritism  ?  By  no  means.  He  merely  communi- 
cated with  his  wife  again  through  another  medium  and 
was  informed  that  a  lying  spirit  had  misrepresented 
her  entirely  and  that  she  had  given  no  such  bad  advice. 
Knowing  these  fadls  concerning  his  history  when  we 
met  him  shortly  after,  and  he  tried  to  urge  upon  the 
writer  the  claims  of  Spiritism,  we  said  to  him,  ''Mr. 
N. ,  we  will  admit  that  Spiritism  is  backed  by  some 
super-human  phenomena,  but  we  deny  that  the  pow- 
ers which  communicate  represent  themselves  truthful- 
ly. They  claim  to  be  friends  and  relatives  who  once 
lived  in  this  world,  but  the  Scriptures  assure  us  to  the 
contrary  of  this  that  there  is  no  work  or  knowledge  or 
device  in  the  grave,  and  that  the  dead  know  not  any- 
thing. (Bccl.  9:  5,  10  )  They  declare  that  the  only 
hope  of  a  future  life  is  by  a  resurredlion  from  the  dead. 
You  know,  Mr.  N. ,  that  whatever  these  powers  may 
be  which  claim  to  be  the  spirits  of  your  friends,  theit 


spiritism — Demonism.  13 

testimony  is  entirely  unreliable.  You  cannot  believe 
their  most  solemn  declarations.  Tliey  are  what  the 
Scriptures  term  **lying  spirits."  We  proceeded  to  give 
him,  as  we  are  about  to  give  in  this  article,  the  identi- 
ty of  these  spirits  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures.  He 
heartily  assented  that  some  of  the  spirits  were  unreli- 
able, ** thoroughly  bad,"  but  claimed  that  others  were 
very  good,  very  truthful,  and  had  frequently  given 
good  advice  which  had  beeU  very  helpful  to  him. 

It  is  claimed  by  many  Spiritists,  especially  by  no- 
vices, that  the  influence  of  Spiritism  is  elevating;  but 
those  who  have  passed  through  the  various  stages  of 
experience  in  this  so-called  religious  system  have  found, 
and  have  publicly  declared,  that  its  influence  is  quite 
the  reverse  of  elevating — it  is  demoralizing. 

The  method  of  operation  is  explained  by  The  Ban- 
ner of  Lights  2,\^d>.CC\\i%  Spiritist  paper,  in  answer  to 
the  query,  thus: — 

*  'Q.  Where  a  spirit  controls  the  hand  of  a  medium 
to  write,  is  the  impression  always  made  through  the 
brain  ? 

\  '*A.  Sometimes  the  control  is  what  is  termed  me- 
chanical control;  then  the  connedlion  between  arm  and 
brain  is  entirely  severed,  and  yet  the  manifestation  is 
made  through  what  is  called  the  nervous  fluids,  a  cer- 
tain portion  of  which  is  retained  in  the  arm  for  the  pur- 
pose of  a(5lion.  But  when  the  manifestation  is  what  is 
called  an  impressional  manifestation,  then  the  brain 
and  entire  nervous  system  is  used." 

Explaining  the  difference  between  Mesmerism  and 
spirit  control,  another  journel,  the  Spiritual  Age ^  says: 

* 'Suppose  /magnitizej^^e^  to  day;  and  that  I,  the 
mesmerizer,  speak,  write,  adl  through  you,  you  being 
unconscious; — this  is  Mesmerism.  Suppose,  further, 
that  I  die  to-night;  and  that,  to-morrow,  I,  a  spirit. 


14  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

come  and  magnetize  you,  and    then    speak,   write, 
adl  through  you;  this  is  Spiritualism  [Spiritism]." 

The  value  of  Spiritism  to  the  world  is  thus  summed 
up  by  the  well  known  Horace  L.  Hastings: — 

* 'According  to  the  theory  of  Spiritualists  there  are 
a  hundred  times  as  many  disembodied  spirits  about  us 
as  there  are  men  in  the  flesh.  Among  them  are  all  the 
poets,  authors,  orators,  musicians  and  inventors  of  past 
ages.  They  know  all  they  ever  knew  when  they  were 
in  the  flesh,  and  have  been  learning  a  great  deal  more 
since;  and  with  their  added  powers  and  extended  ex- 
perience they  should  be  able  to  do  what  mortals  have 
never  done  before.  They  have  had  free  access  to  the 
public  mind  and  public  press,  with  no  end  of  mediums 
ready  to  receive  their  communications,  and  thousands 
and  thousands  of  inquirers  who  have  anxiously  ques- 
tioned them,  and  earnestly  desired  to  obtain  information 
from  them.  They  have  had  tables  and  slates  and  pens 
and  pencils  and  banjos  and  pianos  and  cabinets  and 
bells  and  violins  and  guitars;  and  what  have  we  to  show 
for  it  all  ?  Their  business  in  this  world  has  been  to 
instrudl  men,  to  help  them,  to  make  them  wiser  and 
better.  They  have  talked  and  rapped,  they  have  tipped 
and  rattled,  they  have  fiddled  and  scribbled,  they  have 
materialized  and  dematerialized,  they  have  entranced 
and  exhibited;  they  have  told  us  many  things  which 
we  knew  before;  many  thing  which  we  do  not  know 
yet;  and  many  other  things  which  it  was  no  matter 
whether  we  knew  or  not;  but  when  we  come  to  real  in- 
struc5lion,  reliable  information,  or  profitable  and  valu- 
able knowledge,  Spiritualism  is  as  barren  as  Sahara, 
as  empty  as  a  hollow  gourd." 

WHO  ARE  THESE  SPIRITS  WHICH  PERSONATE 

THE  DEAD? 
We  have  in  the  Scriptures  most  abundant  and 
most  positive  testimony  that  no  communication  could 
come  from  the  dead  until  after  the  resurred:ion.    Fur- 


spiritism — Demonism,  15 

tHennore,  we  have  positive  Scripture  testimony  (i) 
that  not  only  some,  but  all,  of  these  spirits  are  *'evil 
spirits,"   '*lying  spirits,**  '*  seducing  spirits."     The 
Scriptures  forbid  that  humanity  should  seek  to  these      ^  v 
for  information,  and  clearly  inform  us  that  these  de-  v 

monsor  * 'devils"  are  ''those  angels  which  kept  not 
their  first  estate," — some  of  the  angels  to  whom  was 
committed  the  supervision  of  mankind  in  the  period 
before  the  flood,  for  the  purpose  of  permitting  them  to      ^ 
endeavor  to  lift  mankind  out  of  sin;  that  by  their  fail- 
ure all  might  learn  that  there  is  but  one  effectual  rem- 
edy  for  sin;  viz.^  that  provided  in  Christ.'  These  angels,  ^  V  \ 
instead  of  uplifting  humanity,  were  thernselves  enticed    ^  ' 
into  sin,  and  misused  the  power  granted  them,  of  ma- 
terializing  in  human  form,  to  start  another  race.  (Gen. 
6:1-6  )     Their  illicit  progeny,  was  blotted  out  with 
the  flood,  and  themselves  were  thereafter  restrained 
from  the  liberty  of  assuming  physical  bodies,  as  well  as 
isolated  from  the  holy  angels  who  had  kept  their  an- 
gelic estate  inviolate. 

The  Apostle  Peter  (2  Pet.  2:4)  mentions  these, 
saying,  **  God  spared  not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but 
cast  them  down  to  hell  \Tartarus\  and  delivered  them 
into  chains  of  darkness^  to  be  reserved  unto  judgment." 
Jude  (6)  also  mentions  this  class,  saying,  **The  angels 
which  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  left  their  owik 
habitation  [proper  condition]  he  hath  reserved  in  ever- 
lasting chains  —  under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of 
the  great  day. '  *  Notice  three  points  with  reference  to 
these  evil  angels. 

( I )  They  are  imprisoned  in  Tartarus^  restrained, 
but  not  destroyed.  Tartarus  is  nowhere  else  rendered 
**liellj"  but  in  this  one  passageo     It  does  not  signify 


i6  E^ai  Saf  the  Scripiuresf 

the  grave,  neither  does  it  signify  the  Second  Death, 
symbolized  by  the  *' lake  of  fire  and  brimstone;"  but 
it  does  signify  the  air  or  atmosphere  of  earth. 

(2)  They  have  some  liberties  in  this  imprisoned 
condition,  yet  they  are  chained,  or  restrained,  in  one 
respedl — they  are  not  permitted  to  exercise  their  powers 
in  the  light  being  *' under  chains  of  darkness,^* 

(3)  This  restridlion  was  to  continue  tintil  **the 
judgment  of  the  great  day,**  the  great  Millennial 
Day — in  all  a  period  of  over  4,000  years.  As  we  are 
now  in  the  dawning  of  the  Millennial  Day — "the  great 
day' ' — it  is  possible  that  this  should  be  understood  to 
mean  that  some  of  these  limitations  as  to  ^'darkness''* 
may  ere  long  be  removed,  gradually  If  so,  if  the 
•'chains  of  darkness'*  should  be  released,  it  would  per- 
mit these  evil  spirits  to  work  deceptions  or  * 'lying 
wonders"  in  the  daylight  (as  they  are  now  attempting 
to  do)  to  the  delusion  of  mankind  more  than  ever  has 
been  known  since  the  flood. 

These  fallen  angels,  or  demons,  are  not  to  be  con- 
founded with  Satan  the  prince  of  demons,  or  devils, 
whose  evil  career  began  long  before  —  who  was  the 
first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  only,  enemy  of  the  divine 
government;  who,  having  been  created  an  angel  of  a 
superior  order,  sought  to  establish  himself  as  a  rival 
to  the  Almighty,  and  to  deceive  and  ensnare  Adam 
and  his  race  to  be  his  servants;  and  to  a  large  extent, 
for  a  time  at  least,  he  has  succeeded,  as  all  know.  As 
*'the  prince  of  this  world,'*  who  **now  worketh  in  the 
hearts  of  the  children  of  disobedience,"  he  has  indeed 
a  very  multitudinous  host  of  deceived  and  enslaved 
followers.  Naturally  he  would  appreciate  the  deflec- 
tion of  the  *' angels  who  kept  not  their  first  estate^  * 


-Demmumo  if 

&nd  who  were  restrained  at  the  time  of  the  flood;  and 
hence  he  is  spoken  of  as  their  chief,  *'the  prince  of 
devils;"  and  no  doubt  as  a  superior  order  of  being  he 
exercises  some  degree  of  control  over  the  others. 

These  fallen  angels,  * 'demons,'*  have  probably 
very  little  to  interest  them  amongst  themselves; — evil 
beings  apparently  always  prefer  to  make  game  of  the 
purer,  and  apparently  take  pleasure  in  corrupting  and 
degrading  them.  The  history  of  these  detnons,  as  given 
in  the  Scriptures,  would  seem  to  show  that  the  evil 
concupiscence  which  led  to  their  fall,  before  the  flood, 
still  continues  with  them.  They  still  have  their  prin- 
cipal  pleasure  in  that  which  is  lascivious  and  degrad- 
ing; and  the  general  tendency  of  their  influence  upon  • 
mankind  is  toward  working  mischief  against  the  well- 
disposed,  and  the  debauchery  of  those  over  whom  they 
gain  absolute  control. 

We  are  well  aware  that  many  Christian  people 
have  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  Lord  and  the 
apostles  were  deceived,  when  they  attributed  to  the 
works  of  demons  condudl  that  is  now  considered  human 
propensity  and  mental  unbalance  and  fits.  But  all 
should  admit  that  if  our  Lord  was  in  error  on  this  sub- 
jedl,  his  teachings  would  be  an  unsafe  guide  upon  any 
subject. 

1^q\.\q.^  \^i^  personality  2JqA  intelligence  attributed 
to  these  demons  in  the  following  Scriptures  —  "Thou 
believest  that  there  is  one  God;  thou  doest  well;  devils 
also  believe  and  tremble,^*  (Jas.  2:  19.)  Do  human  pro- 
pensities *  'believe  and  tremble  ?  ' '  The  demons  said  to 
our  Lord,  **Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  God!  And  he, 
rebuking  themy  suffered  thetn  not  to  speak  [furthei J , 
for  they  knew  that  he  was  Christ."     (Luke  4:41.) 


1 8  Whai  Sa^  the  Scriptures  f 

Another  said,  ** Jesus  /  know  and  Paul  /  knoWy  but  wha 
are  ye?'*  (Adls  19:15.)  The  young  woman  from 
whom  Paul  cast  out  the  spirit  of  soothsaying  and  divi- 
nation (Ad;s  16:16-19)  is  a  good  illustration.  Can  it 
be  claimed  by  any  that  the  Apostle  deprived  the  woman 
of  any  proper  talent  or  power  ?  Must  it  not  be  con- 
fessed to  have  been  a  spirit  which  possessed  and  used 
her  body  ? — an  evil  spirit  unfit  to  be  tolerated  there  ? 

Many  of  those  who  claim  that  the  demons  of  the 
Scriptures  were  the  spirits  of  wicked  men  and  women 
who  died,  and  that  these  are  the  **lying  spirits'*  ack- 
nowledged by  Spiritists,  nave  still  another  difficulty; — 
for  generally  they  claim  that  the  spirits  of  wicked  dead 
go  to  hell-torments,  as  they  wrongly  interpret  skeol 
and  hades  to  mean.*  If  so,  how  could  they  be  so  much 
at  liberty  ? 

** Witchcraft,*'  *' Necromancy,**  the  *'Black  art,** 
**Sorcery,**  etc.,  are  supposed  by  many  to  be  wholly 
delusions.  But  when  we  find  that  they  had  a  firm  hold 
upon  the  Egyptians,  and  that  God  made  special  pro- 
vision against  them  with  Israel,  we  are  satisfied  that 
he  made  no  such  restri<5lions  either  against  that  which 
is  good,  or  against  that  which  had  no  existence  what- 
ever. The  instrudlion  to  Israel  was  very  explicit:  they 
should  not  have  any  communion  nor  make  any  inquir- 
ies through  necromancers  (those  who  claimed  to  speak 
for  the  dead;  i,  e.^  spirit-mediums);  nor  with  any  wiz- 
ard or  witch;  nor  with  any  who  had  occult  powers, 

*  See  "What  Say  the  Scriptures  About  Hell?"  a  pamphlet  in 
which  every  text  of  Scripture  containing  the  word  hell  is  cited  and  ex- 
amined in  the  light  of  Scripture  and  reason,  together  with  other  Script- 
ures and  parables  supposed  to  teach  eternal  torment.  Price  10  cents. 
Address  Bible  &  Tract  Society,  17  Hicks  St.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y, 


spiritism — Demonism.     '  19 

charms;  nor  with  those  who  work  miracles  by  means 
of  sorcery  and  incantation. — Read  carefully  all  of  the 
following  Scriptures,  — Exod.  22: 18;  Deut.  18:9-12; 
I,ev.  19:31;  20:6,  27;  2  Kings  21:2,  6,9,  11;  i  Chron. 
10:13,  14;  Adls  16:16-18;  Gal.  5:19-21;  Rev.  21:8; 
Isa.  8:  19,  20;  19:  3. 

The  Bible  story  of  King  Saul's  * 'seance"  with 
the  witch  of  Kndor,  a  necromancer  or  spirit- medium, 
as  related  in  i  Sam.  28:  7-20,  is  an  illustration  of  what 
is  claimed  to  be  performed  to-day.  Altho  the  law  with 
reference  to  these  mediums  was  very  stricfl  and  the  pun- 
ishment death,  there  were  some  who  were  willing  to 
risk  their  lives  because  of  the  gains  which  could  thus 
be  obtained  from  people  who  believed  that  they  were 
obtaining  supernatural  information  from  their  dead 
friends — just  as  with  spirit-mediums  to-day.  King 
Saul  was  well  aware  that  there  were  numerous  of  these 
mediums  residing  in  Israel  contrary  to  the  divine  in- 
jundlion  and  his  own  law,  and  his  servants  apparently 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  one  at  Kndor.  Saul 
disguised  himself  for  the  interview,  but  no  doubt  the 
crafty  woman  knew  well  the  stately  form  of  Saul — head 
and  shoulders  taller  than  any  other  man  in  Israel.  ( i 
Sam.  9:2.)  Hence  her  particularity  to  secure  a  promise 
and  oath  from  his  own  lips  that  no  harm  should  befall 
her  for  the  service 

The  methods  used  by  the  evil  spirits  through  the 
medium  at  Kndor  were  similar  to  those  in  use  to-day. 
They  caused  to  pass  before  the  medium's  mental  vision 
the  familiar  likeness  of  the  aged  prophet,  Samuel, 
wearing  as  was  his  custom,  a  long  mantle.  When  she 
described  the  mental  (or  *  'astral  ?' ' )  pidlure,  Saul  recog- 
nized it  at  once  as  a  description  of  Samuel;  but  Sau) 


^o  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

himself  saw  nothing — he  "perceived,"  from  the  de- 
scription, that  it  was  Samuel.  Easily  convinced,  as 
people  under  such  circumstances  usuallj^  are,  Saul  did 
not  stop  to  question  how  it  could  be  that  Samuel  looked 
as  old  and  as  stooped  as  he  looked  in  the  present  life, 
if  he  was  now  a  spirit  being  and  far  better  off;  nor  did 
he  inquire  why  he  wore  the  same  old  mantle  in  the 
spirit  world  that  he  had  worn  when  he  knew  him  as  an 
earthly  being.  Saul  had  been  forsaken  by  the  I<ord 
and  was  now  easily  deceived  by  these  *  'lying  spirits, ' ' 
who  personated  the  prophet  and  spoke  to  Saul  in  his 
name,  through  their  * 'medium/'  the  witch,  necroman- 
cer, Spiritist. 

The  fallen  spirits  are  not  only  well  informed  in  re- 
spedl  to  all  the  affairs  of  earth,  but  they  are  adepts  in 
deceit.  In  answering  Saul,  the  manner  and  style,  and 
as  nearly  as  could  be  judged  the  sentiments  of  the 
dead  prophet  were  assumed  —  the  better  to  deceive. 
(Thus  these  'lying  spirits"  always  seek  to  counterfeit 
the  face  manner  and  disposition  of  the  dead.)  The 
response  w^as,  **  Why  hast  thou  ^w^2^2>^^^  me  to  bring 
me  upf  ' '  This  answer  corresponds  to  the  Jewish  be- 
lief— that  when  a  person  died  he  became  unconscious 
in  ''sheoly''  the  grave,  waiting  for  a  resurrec5lion.  (Job 
14:  12-15,  21;  Psa.  90:3;  Keel.  9:5,6.)  Hence  the  rep- 
resentation is  that  Samuel  was  brought  up  from  the 
grave,  and  not  dow7t  from  heaven;  and  that  his  rest  or 
peaceful  "sleep"  was  disturbed  or  "disquieted," — Psa. 
13:3;  Job  14:12;  Psa.  90:5;  John  11:  11,  14. 

•Saul  was  easily  deceived  into  thinking  that  the 
Prophet  Samuel  who  had  refused  to  visit  him  to  have 
any  further  converse  with  him  while  alive,  had  been 
forced   to  commune  with   him,   by    the    wonderful 


spiritism — Demonism,  21 

powers  of  the  witch.  (See  i  Sam.  15:26,  35.)  Saul's 
own  testimony  was,  "God  is  departed  from  me  and 
answereth  me  no  more,  neither  by  prophets,  nor  by 
dreams." — i  Sam.  28:6,  15. 

Any  rightly  informed  person  will  readily  see  the 
absurdity  of  supposing  that  Samuel  would  hold  any 
conference  whatever  with  Saul  under  the  circumstance. 
( I )  Samuel  (when  living)  was  aware  that  God  had  for- 
saken Saul,  and  hence  Samuel  had  no  right  to  speak 
to  him  and  no  right  to  give  him  any  information  which 
the  lyord  was  unwilling  to  give  him.  And  Samuel 
would  not  do  so.  (2)  It  is  thoroughly  absurd  to  sup- 
pose that  a  spirit-medium  under  condemnation  of  the 
I/ord  and  prohibited  of  the  right  of  residence  in  the 
land  of  Israel  could  have  the  power  at  the  instance  of  a 
wicked  king,  whom  God  had  deserted,  to  *  'disquiet' ' 
Samuel  and  to  bring  him  **z^/'*  out  of  sheol.  Was 
Samuel  down  in  the  earth,  or  was  he  afar  off  in  heav- 
en ?  and  had  the  witch  the  power  in  either  case  to  com- 
mand him  to  present  himself  before  King  Saul  to 
answer  his  question  ?  Or  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  any  spirit- mediums  have  the  power  to  "disquiet" 
and  "bring  up"  or  in  any  other  manner  cause  the  dead 
to  appear  to  answer  the  speculative  questions  of  the 
living  ? 

The  "familiar  spirit"  of  the  witch,  personating 
Samuel,  foretold  nothing  which  Saul  himself  did  not 
anticipate.  Saul  knew  that  God's  word  had  been  passed 
that  the  kingdom  should  be  taken  from  him  and  his 
family,  and  he  had  sought  the  witch  because  of  his 
fear  of  the  Philistine  hosts  in  battle  array  for  the  mor- 
row. He  expedled  no  mercy  for  himself  and  his  fami- 
ly, God  having  told  him  that  D^vid  would  be  his  sue- 


22  Wkaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

cesser.  He  even  anticipated,  therefore,  the  statement 
which  was  the  only  feature  connected  with  this  story 
that  indicates  in  any  degree  a  supernatural  knowledge; 
viz.^  * 'To-morrow  shalt  thou  and  thy  sons  be  with  me: 
the  Lord  also  shall  deliver  the  host  of  Israel  into  the 
hands  of  the  Philistines. ' '  The  well-informed  demons 
knew  full  better  than  did  Saul  the  strength  of  the 
Philistines'  position  and  army,  and  the  weakness  of 
Saul's  position  and  army,  and  that  he  himself  was  al- 
ready panic-stricken  and  making  this  inquiry  of  the 
witch-medium  because  he  was  distra<5led  at  the  situa- 
tion. Any  one  familiar  with  the  warfare  of  that  time 
would  know  (i)  that  one  day's  battle  would  probably 
settle  the  question;  and  (2)  that  the  death  of  the  king 
and  his  household  would  be  the  only  logical  result. 
Nevertheless,  the  * 'familiar  spirit"  erred,  for  two  of 
Saul's  sons  escaped  and  lived  for  years.  It  is  even  de- 
nied by  scholars  that  the  battle  and  the  death  of  Saul  oc- 
curred for  several  days  after  the  visit  to  the  witch. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  Satan  and  the  fallen  an- 
gels, his  consorts  in  evil,  should  know  considerably 
more  than  do  men,  concerning  many  of  life's  affairs. 
We  must  remember  that  by  nature  they  are  a  higher, 
more  intelligent  order  than  men;  for  man  was  made  "a 
little  lower  than  the  angels"  (Psa.  8:  5):  besides,  let 
us  remember  their  thousands  of  years  of  experience, 
unimpaired  by  decay  and  death,  as  compared  with 
man's  "few  years  and  full  of  trouble,"  soon  cut  off  in 
death.  Can  we  wonder  that  mankind  cannot  cope  wdth 
the  cunning  of  these  "wicked  spirits,"  and  that  our 
only  safety  lies  in  the  divine  provision  that  each  one 
who  so  wills  may  refuse  to  have  any  communication 
with  these  demons?  -The  Word  of  the  Lord  is.   ''Re- 


Spiritism — Demonism^  23 

sist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you.**  (Jas.  4:  7.) 
**Be  sober,  be  vigilant;  because  your  adversary  the 
devil,  as  a  roaring  [angry]  lion,  walketh  about,  seek- 
ing whom  he  may  devour:  whom  resist ^  steadfast  in  the 
faith."— I  Pet.  5:8,  9. 

But  while  able  to  tell  things  past  diudi  present ^  these 
evil  intelligences  are  quite  unable  to  do  more  than  guess 
at  \h^  future.  Yet  these  guesses  are  often  so  skillfully 
stated  as  to  satisfy  the  inquirer  and  yet  appear  true,  if 
the  result  should  be  the  opposite  of  his  expedlation. 
Thus  the  oracle  of  Delphi  having  been  consulted  by 
Croesus  demonstrated  to  him  a  super- human  knowledge 
of  present  things,  and  when  he,  having  thus  gained 
confidence  in  it,  inquired  through  its  mediums^ 
''whether  he  should  lead  an  army  against  the  Per- 
sians," the  answer  as  recorded  by  Herodotus  the  his- 
torian was,  "By  crossing  the  Halys,  CrcBSUs  will  destroy 
a  mighty  power! ' '  Relying  upon  this,  Croesus  attacked 
the  Persians  and  was  defeated.  His  own  mighty  power 
was  destroyed !  History  is  full  of  such  evidences  that 
the  demons  know  not  the  future;  and  God's  Word 
challenges  all  such,  saying, — • 

* 'Produce  your  cause,  saith  the  I^ord;  bring  forth 
your  strong  reasons,  saith  the  King  of  Jacob.  Let  them 
bring  them  forth  and  show  us  what  shall  happen.  I^et 
them  show  the  former  things  [things  before  or  to  come\ 
what  they  be,  that  we  may  consider  them,  and  know 
the  latter  end  of  them;  or  declare  us  things  for  to  come. 
Show  the  things  that  are  to  come  hereafter ^  that  we  m,ay 
know  that  ye  are  gods.'' ^ — Isa.  41:  21,  23. 

But  where  was  Samuel  the  prophet,  if  Saul  would 
be  with  him,  the  day  following  ?  Clearly  the  meeting 
place  would  not  be  heaven^  for  wicked  Saul  was  surely 


24  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

unfit  to  enter  there  (John  3:  5);  nor  could  the  meeting 
be  in  a  place  of  flames  and  torment,  for  surely  Samuel 
was  not  in  such  a  place.  No;  the  "familiar  spirit" 
spoke  to  Saul  from  the  standpoint  of  the  general  faith 
of  that  time,  taught  by  Samuel  and  all  the  patriarchs 
and  prophets, — namely,  that  all  who  die,  good  and  bad 
alike,  go  to  sheol^  the  grave,  the  state  of  death,  the 
sleep  from  which  naught  can  awaken  except  the  resur- 
redlion  power  of  Michael,  the  arch- angel  (Dan.  12:1, 
2); — except  it  were  claimed  that  the  witch's  "familiar 
spirit"  could  awaken  the  dead  in  advance, — but  this, 
as  we  are  showing,  was  a  deception,  a  fraud,  the  "lying 
spirit' '  personating  the  dead  and  answering  for  Samuel. 
Of  this  passage  Charles  Wesley  wrote  — 

*'  What  do  these  solemn  words  portend? 
A  gleam  of  hope  when  life  shall  end?— 
Thou  and  thy  sons  shall  surely  be 
To-morrow  in  repose  with  me: — 
Not  in  a  state  of  hellish  pain, 
If  Saul  wich  Samuel  remain; 
Not  in  a  state  of  damned  despair, 
If  loving  Jonathan  be  there." 

One  remarkable  thing  in  connedlion  with  the  mani- 
festations of  these  fallen  angels,  or  "demons,"  is  that 
people  of  ordinary  common  sense  are  so  easily  deceived 
by  them  and  accept  such  flimsy  proofs  respedling  the 
dead,  which  they  would  not  accept  respedling  the  liv- 
ing. The  inquirer  will  accept  through  the  medium  a 
description  which  fits  to  the  individual  and  his  manner, 
clothing  and  appearance  yearsbefore,  and  will  hold  sacred 
a  message  purporting  to  come  from  him,  whereas  the 
same  individual  would  be  more  on  guard  against  de- 
ception by  a  living  impostor,  and  his  message  through 
a  servantc 


spiritism — Demonism.  25 

The  mention  in  the  Scriptures  of  these  necroman- 
cers, witches  and  mediums,  leads  us  to  infer  that 
through  mediums  they  were  for  centuries  seeking  fel- 
lowship with  the  Israelites.  But  it  is  apparently  the 
custom  to  change  the  manner  of  manifestation  from 
time  to  time:  just  as  witchcraft  flourished  for  a  time  in 
New  England  and  Ohio,  and  throughout  Europe,  and 
then  died  out  and  has  been  succeeded  by  Spiritism, 
whose  tipping  and  rapping  manifestations  are  gradual- 
ly giving  way  to  others,  clairaudience  and  materializa- 
tion being  now  the  chief  endeavors,  the  latter,  being 
very  difficult  and  the  conditions  often  unfavorable,  are 
often  accompanied  by  mediumistic  assistance  and  fraud. 

OBSESSION  AT  THE  FIRST  ADVENT. 


In  the  days  of  our  Lord  and  the  early  Church  the 
method  of  operations  on  the  part  of  these  demons  had 
changed  somewhat  from  the  pradlices  in  the  days, of 
Saul,  and  we  read  nothing  in  the  New  Testament  about 
witches,  wizards  and  necromancy,  but  a  great  deal 
about  persons  possessed  by  devils — obsession.  Appar- 
ently there  were  great  numbers  thus  possessed  through- 
out the  land  of  Israel:  many  cases  are  mentioned  in 
which  our  Lord  cast  out  devils;  and  the  power  to  cast 
them  out  was  one  of  those  conferred  upon  the  twelve 
apostles,  and  afterward  upon  the  seventy  that  were 
sent  out.  The  same  power  was  possessed  and  exer- 
cised by  the  Apostle  Paul. — See  Luke  9: i ;  10: 1 1 ;  Adls 
13:8-11;  16: 18. 

Mary  Magdelene,  we  remember,  had  been  pos- 
sessed of  seven  devils  (Luke  8:2),  and  being  set  free 
from  their  control,  she  became  a  very  loyal  servant  of 
the  Lordo     ADother  mstancf  k  mentioned  in  which  a 


2§  What  Say  the  Scriptures? 

legion  of  spirits  had  taken  possession  of  one  man.  (I^uke 
8:  30;  4:  35,  36,  41.)  No  wonder  that  his  poor  brain, 
assaulted  and  operated  upon  by  a  legion  of  different 
minds,  would  be  demented.  This  tendency  of  these 
fallen  spirits  to  congregate  in  one  person  indicates  the 
desire  they  have  still  to  exercise  the  power  originally 
given  them;  namely,  the  power  to  materialize  as  men. 
Deprived  of  this  power  they  apparently  have  compara- 
tively rare  opportunities  of  getting  possession  of  human 
beings.  Apparently  the  human  will  must  conseyit  before 
these  evil  spirits  have  power  to  take  possession.  But 
when  they  do  take  possession  apparently  the  will  power 
is  so  broken  down,  that  the  individual  is  almost  help- 
less to  resist  their  presence  and  further  encroachment, 
even  tho  he  so  desires.  Our  Lord  intimates  such  a 
condition  (Matt.  12:43-45),  suggesting  that,  even  af- 
ter an  evil  spirit  had  been  cast  out  and  the  heart  swept 
afid  garnished,  if  it  were  still  empty,  there  would 
be  danger  of  the  return  of  the  evil  spirit  with  Others 
to  re-possess  themselves  of  the  man; — hence  the  neces- 
sity for  'having  Christ  enthroned  within,  if  we  would 
be  kept  for  the  Master's  use,  and  be  used  in  his  service. 

Apparently  these  evil  spirits  have  not  the  power 
to  impose  themselves,  even  upon  dumb  animals,  until 
granted  some  sort  of  permission;  for,  v/hen  the  *  'legion' ' 
was  commanded  to  come  out  of  the  man  whom  they 
possessed,  they  requested  as  a  privilege  that  they  might 
have  possession  of  the  bodies  of  a  herd  of  swine;  and 
the  swine  being  according  to  the  law  unclean  to  the 
Jew,  and  unlawful  to  eat,  the  I<ord  permitted  them  to 
have  possession  of  them,  doubtless  foreseeing  the  re- 
sults, and  with  a  view  to  giving  us  this  very  lesson. 

The  same  Apostle  who  speaks  of  these  evil  spirits 


spiritism — Demonism.  27 

as  'lying  wonders"  and  **seducing  spirits"  (i  Tim.  4: 
i;  2  Thes.  2:9;  compare  Bzek.  13:6;  i  Kings  22:22, 
23)  tells  us  that  the  heathen  sacrificed  to  these  demons, 
(i  Cor.  10:  20.)  And  so,  indeed,  we  find  that  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  world  there  are  demon  manifestations. 
Amongst  the  Chinese  these  demon  powers  are  fre- 
quently recognized,  and  sacrifices  are  offered  to  them; 
so  also  in  India  and  in  Africa.  Amongst  the  North 
American  Indians  in  their  savage  state  these  evil  spirits 
operated  after  much  the  same  manner  as  elsewhere. 
An  illustration  is  given  by  Missionary  Brainard  in  a 
*  ^Report  to  the  Honorable  Society  for  Propagating  Christ- 
ian Knowledge^ ' '  explanatory  of  the  difficulties  and 
obstacles  to  the  spread  of  Christianity  among  the  In- 
dians with  whom  h^  had  been  laboring,  as  follows:  — 

''What  further  contributes  to  their  aversion  to 
Christianity  is  the  influence  which  their  powaws  {coii- 
jurers  or  diviners)  have  upon  them.  These  are  a  sort  of 
persons  who  are  supposed  to  have  a  power  oi  foretelling 
future  events y  or  recovering  the  sick^  at  least  of  tentimes, 
and  of  charming,  enchanting^  or  poisoning  persons  to 
death  by  their  magic  divinations.  Their  spirit,  in  its 
various  operations,  seems  to  be  a  Satanic  imitation  of 
the  spirit  of  prophecy  with  which  the  Church  in  early 
ages  was  favored.  Some  of  these  diviners  are  endowed 
with  the  spirit  in  infancy; — others  in  adult  age.  It 
seems  not  to  depend  upon  their  own  will,  nor  to  be  ac- 
quired by  any  endeavors  of  the  person  who  is  the  sub- 
ject of  it.  .  .  .  They  are  not  under  the  influence  of 
this  spirit  always  alike, — but  it  comes  upon  them  at 
times.  Those  who  are  endowed  with  it  are  accounted 
singularly  favored. 

* 'I  have  labored  to  gain  some  acquaintance  with 
this  affair  of  their  conjuration,  and  have  for  that  end 
consulted  and  queried  with  the  man  mentioned  in  my 
Diary,  May  9,  who,  since  his  conversion  to  Christian- 


iS  What  S^y  iM  Scnptmm  ? 

ity,  has  endeavord  to  give  me  the  best  intelligence  he 
could  of  this  matter.  But  it  seems  to  be  such  a  myste- 
ry of  iniquity,  that  I  cannot  well  understaiad  it,  and  do 
not  know  oftentimes  what  ideas  to  affix  to  the  terms  he 
makes  use  of.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  he  himself  has 
not  any  clear  notions  of  the  thing,  now  his  spirit  of  di- 
vination is  gone  from  him. 

*  'There  were  some  times  when  this  spirit  came 
upon  him  in  a  special  manner.  Then,  he  says,  he  was 
all  light,  and  not  only  light  himself,  but  it  was  light 
all  arou7id  him,  so  that  he  could  see  through  men,  and 
knew  the  thoughts  of  their  hearts.  These  ''depths  of 
Satan' '  I  leave  to  others  to  fathom  or  to  dive  into  as 
they  please,  and  do  not  pretend,  for  my  own  part,  to 
know  what  ideas  to  affix  to  such  terms,  and  cannot  well 
guess  what  conception  of  things  these  creatures  have 
at  these  times  when  they  call  themselves  all  light.  But 
my  interpreter  tells  me  that  he  heard  one  of  them  tell 
a  certain  Indian  the  secret  thoughts  of  his  heart,  which 
he  had  never  divulged.   ... 

''When  I  have  apprehended  them  afraid  of  em- 
bracing Christianity,  lest  they  should  be  enchanted  and 
poisoned,  I  have  endeavored  to  relieve  their  minds  of 
this  fear,  by  asking  them.  Why  their  powaws  did  not 
enchant  and  poison  me,  seeing  they  had  as  much  reason 
to  hate  me  for  preaching  to  them,  and  desiring  them 
to  become  Christians,  as  they  could  have  to  hate  them 
in  case  they  should  adlually  become  such  ?  That  they 
might  have  an  evidence  of  the  power  and  goodness  of 
God  engaged  for  the  protection  of  Christians,  I  ven- 
tured to  bid  a  challenge  to  all  their  powaws  and  great 
powers  to  do  their  worst  on  me  first  of  all;  and  thus  I 
labored  to  tread  down  their  influence."  —Memoirs  of 
Brainard,  pages  348-351. 

Three  months  since  the  New  York  Sun  published 
the  following  account  of  the  experiences  of  Capt.  C.  E. 
Denny,  Indian  agent  for  the  Canadian  Government 
among  the  Blackfeet  Indians.     Capt.  Denny  says  :  — 


spiritism — Demonism,  29 

*'0n  my  ai rival  in  the  northwest  territories  with 
the  northwest  rriounted  police,  in  1874,  I  was  curious 
to  find  out  how  far  these  "medicinemen"  carried  their 
arts,  and  alsry  what  these  arts  consisted  of  I  heard 
from  Indians  many  tales  of  wonders  done  by  them,  but 
it  was  a  long  time  before  I  got  a  chance  to  be  present 
at  one  of  these  ceremonies.  The  Indians  were  reluc- 
tant to  allow  a  white  man  to  view  any  of  their  "medi- 
cine" ceremonies.  As  I  got  better  acquainted  with 
several  tribes,  particularly  the  Blackfeet,  I  had  many 
chances  to  find  out  the  truth  regarding  what  I  had 
heaid  of  them,  and  I  was  truly  astonished  at  what  I 
saw  at  different  times.  Many  of  the  medicine  feats  did 
not  allow  of  any  jugglery,  the  man  being  naked,  with 
the  exception  of  a  cloth  around  his  loins,  and  I  sitting 
within  a  few  feet  of  him. 

*  'All  Indians  believe  in  their  familiar  spirit,  which 
assumed  all  kinds  of  shapes,  sometimes  that  of  an  owl, 
a  buffalo,  a  beaver,  a  fox,  or  any  other  animal.  This 
spirit  it  was  that  gave  them  the  power  to  perform  the 
wonders  done  by  them,  and  was  firmly  believed  in  by 
them  all. 

"On  one  occasion  I  was  sitting  in  an  Indian  tent 
alone  with  one  of  the  "medicine"  men  of  the  Blackfeet 
Indians.  It  was  night  and  all  was  quiet  in  the  camp. 
The  night  was  calm,  with  a  bright  moon  shining.  On 
a  sudden  the  Indian  commenced  to  sing,  and  presently 
the  lodge,  which  was  a  large  one,  commenced  to  tremble: 
and  tne  tremblmg  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  it 
rocked  violently,  even  lifting  off  the  ground,  first  on 
one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  as  if  a  dozen  pair  of 
hands  were  heaving  it  on  the  outside.  This  lasted  for 
about  two  minutes,  when  I  ran  out,  expe(5ling  to  find 
some  Indians  on  the  outside  who  had  played  me  a  trick, 
but,  to  my  astonishment,  not  a  soul  was  in  sight,  and 
what  still  more  bewildered  me  was  to  find  on  examina- 
tion that  the  lodge  was  firmly  pegged  down  to  the 
ground,  it  being  impossible  for  any  number  of  men  to 
have  moved  and  replaced  the  pegs  in  so  short  a  time, 


30  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

I  did  not  enter  the  lodge  again  that  night,  as  the  mat- 
ter looked,  to  say  the  least,  uncanny. 

''On  another  occasion  I  visited  a  lodge  where  a 
'medicine  smoke'*  was  in  progress.  There  were  about  a 
dozen  Indians  in  the  lodge.  After  the  smoke  was  over, 
a  large  copper  kettle,  about  two  feet  deep,  and  the 
same  or  a  little  more  in  diameter,  was  placed  empty  on 
the  roaring  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge.  The  med- 
icine man  who  was  stripped,  with  the  exception  of  a 
cloth  around  his  loins,  was  all  this  time  singing  a  *  'med- 
icine' '  in  a  low  voice. 

"The  pot  after  a  short  while  became  red-hot,  and 
a  pole  being  passed  through  the  handle,  it  was  lifted 
in  this  state  off  the  fire  and  placed  on  the  ground,  so 
close  to  me  that  the  heat  was  almost  unbearable.  On 
the  pole  being  withdrawn  the  medicine  man  sprang  to 
his  feet  and,  still  singing  his  song,  stepped  with  both 
naked  feet  into  the  red-hot  kettle  and  danced  for  at 
least  three  minutes  in  it,  still  singing  to  the  accompan- 
iment of  the  Indian  drums.  I  was  so  close,  as  I  have 
before  said,  that  the  heat  of  the  kettle  was  almost  un- 
bearable, and  I  closely  watched  the  performance,  and 
saw  this  Indian  dance  for  some  minutes  with  his  bare 
feet  in  it.  On  stepping  out  he  seemed  none  the  worse; 
but  how  he  performed  the  adl  was  and  is  still  a  mys- 
tery to  me. ' ' 

Similar  feats  are  performed  by  the  fetish  men  of 
India  "under  control;"  and  tests  given  by  "spirit  me- 
diums" "under  control"  sometimes  include  the  hand- 
ling of  fire,  red  hot  glass,  etc.,  with  bare  hands  with- 
out injury.  God  has  protedled  his  faithful  in  the  flames 
(Dan.  3:  19-27),  and  it  seems  that  he  does  not  always 
hinder  Satan's  use  of  such  power. 

Dr.  Ashmore,  of  long  experience  as  a  missionary 
in  China,  says, — 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  the  Chinese  hold  dire<$t 
communications  with  the  spirits  of  another  world.  They 


spiritism — Demonisnto  31 

never  pretend  that  they  are  the  spirits  of  their  depart- 
ed friends.  They  get  themselves  in  a  certain  state  and 
seek  to  be  possessed  by  these  spirits.  I  have  seen  them 
in  certain  conditions  invite  the  spirits  to  come  and  to 
inhabit  them.  Their  eyes  become  frenzied,  their  fea- 
tures distorted,  and  they  pour  out  speeches  which  are 
supposed  to  be  the  utterances  of  the  spirits. ' ' 

An  old  issue  of  Youth's  Day  Spring  contains  a 
letter  from  a  missionary  describing  the  condition  of  the 
Africans  on  the  Gaboon  river  at  the  approach  of  death. 
He  says,— 

*  *  The  room  was  filled  with  women  who  were 
weeping  in  the  most  piteous  manner,  and  calling  on 
the  spirits  of  their  fathers  and  others  who  were  dead, 
and  upon  all  spirits  in  whom  they  believed,  Ologo, 
Njembi,  Abambo,  and  Miwii,  to  save  the  man  from 
death." 

A  Wesleyan  missionary,  Mr.  White,  says, — 

* 'There  is  a  class  of  people  in  New  Zealand  called 
Eruku,  or  priests;  these  men  pretend  to  have  inter- 
course with  departed  spirits. '^ 

No  part  of  humanity  has  been  exempted  from  the 
attacks  of  these  demons,  and  their  influence  is  always 
baneful.  India  is  full  of  it.  So  generally  accepted  at 
one  time  was  the  belief  in  demon-possession,  that  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  through  her  priests,  regularly 
pradliced  * 'exorcism,"  or  casting  out  of  demons. 

The  very  earliest  recorded  spirit  manifestation  was 
in  Kden,  when  Satan,  desiring  to  tempt  mother  Eve, 
used  or  "obsessed"  the  serpent.  Mother  Eve  claimed 
that  she  was  deceived  by  the  serpent's  misrepresenta- 
tions. God  allowed  the  claim  as  true,  and  sentenced 
the  serpent,  which  there  became  the  symbolic  repre- 
sentative of  Satan.  As  the  father  of  lies  he  there  took 
possession  of  a  '^^rpent  to  deceive  Eve  and  lead  her  tm 


32  Whai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

disbelieve  God's  command  by  the  false  assurance,  "Y€ 
shall  not  surely  die!"  soever  since,  the  he  has  var- 
ied his  methods  and  mediums,  all  of  them  are  to  de- 
ceive— to  blind  the  minds  of  mankind,  lest  the  glorious 
light  of  iho.  gooditess  of  God,  as  it  shines  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  should  shine  unto  them. 

Thanks  be  to  God  for  the  promise  that,  in  due 
time,  the  Kingdom  of  God  shall  be  established  in  the 
earth,  in  the  hands  of  our  Lord  Jesus  and  his  then  com- 
pleted and  glorified  Church,  and  that  one  of  the  first 
works  of  that  Kingdom,  preparatory  to  its  blessing 
"all  the  families  of  the  earth,"  will  be  the  binding  of 
that  Old  Serpent,  the  Devil  and  Satan,  that  he  may 
deceive  the  nations  no  more  for  the  thousand  years  of 
Christ's  reign;  until  all  men  shall  be  brought  to  a  clear 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  to  a  full  opportunity  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  gracious  provisions  of  the  New 
Covenant,  sealed  at  Calvary  with  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ. 

While  the  name  Old  Serpent  includes  Satan,  *'the 
prince  of  devils,"  it  is  here  evidently  used  as  a  syno 
nym  for  all  the  sinful  agencies  and  powers  which  had 
their  rise  in  him.     It  therefore  includes  the  legions  of 
''evil  spirits,"  *' familiar  spirits,"  ''seducing  spirits." 

Spiritism,  as  a  deceiving  influence  under  the  con- 
trol of  Satan,  is  foretold  by  the  Apostle  Paul.  After 
telling  of  the  work  of  Satan  in  the  great  Apostacy  of 
which  Papacy  is  the  head-center,  the  Man  of  Sin,  the 
Mystery  of  Iniquity,*  the  Apostle  draws  his  subjedl  to 
a  close  by  pointing  out  that  Satan,  toward  the  end  of 
this  age,  will  be  granted  special  licence  to  deceive  by 
peculiar  arts,  all  who,  having  been  highly  favored  with 
*  See  Studies  in  the  Scriptures,  Vol.  ii.,  Chap,  9,  pages  267-366. 


Spiritiim—Demmiism^  33 

£he  Word  of  God,  have  failed  to  appreciate  and  use  it. 
He  says, — "For  this  cause  God  will  send  them  strong 
delusion  [a  working  deception] ,  that  they  may  believe 
a  lie:  that  they  may  all  be  condemned,  who  believed 
not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness 
[dodlrinal  or  praAical] . " — 2  Tbes.  2:11,  12. 

We  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  some  later  mani- 
festations of  the  powers  of  darkness,  transformed  to 
appear  as  the  angels  of  light  and  progress,  shall  be 
much  more  specious  and  delusive  than  anything  yet 
attempted.  We  do  well  to  remember  the  Apostle's 
Words, — * 'We  wrestle  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  but 
v/ith  princely  powers  of  darkness,  with  the  spiritual 
things  of  the  evil  one."— Kph.  6: 12. 

In  1842,  six  years  before  ''modern  Spiritism'*  be- 
gan to  operate,  Edward  Bickersteth,  a  servant  of  God 
and  student  of  his  Word,  wrote, — 

"Looking  at  the  signs  of  the  times,  and  the  long 
negledt  and  unnatural  denial  of  all  angelic  ministration 
or  spiritual  influence,  and  at  the  express  predidlions  of 
false  Christs,  and  false  prophets,  who  shall  show  signs 
and  wonders,  insomuch  that  if  it  were  possible  they  should 
deceive  the  very  eleSl,  and  that  when  men  receive  not  the 
love  of  the  truth  that  they  might  be  saved,  for  this  cause 
God  shall  send  thefn  strong  delusion,  that  they  shall  be- 
lieve a  lie;  I  cannot  but  think  there  is  a  painful  pros- 
pedl  of  a  SUDDEN  rkcoiIv  and  religious  revulsion  from 
the  present  unbelief  2ivA  misbelief,  to  an  unnatural  and 
undistinguishing  credulity.  ' ' 

Satan  is  the  inspirer  and  supporter  of  every  Anti- 
Christ;  and  as  he  led  those  who  had  pleasure  in  error 
rather  than  the  truth  to  the  organization  of  the  great 
Anti- Christ,  Papacy,  symbolically  the  "beast"  of  Rev. 
13,  and  as  he  is  now  operating  to  produce  a  Protestant 
"image  of  the  beast"  with /^^,  which  will  cooperate 
% 


34  Whmi  Saj  ike  Scnptutesf 

with  the  chief  Anti-Christ,  so  in  combination  with 
these  will  be  the  powers  of  darkness,  the  powers  of  the 
air,  the  lying  and  seducing  spirits,  operating  in  some 
manner  or  in  a  variety  of  ways, —  Spiritism,  Christian 
Science,  Theosophy,  Hypnotism,  etc. 

"Rev.  Father  Coppens,  M.  D.  [Roman  Catholic] , 
Professor  in  Creighton  University, ' '  recently  delivered 
a  discourse  on  *  'Borderland  of  Science, ' '  from  which  we 
extradt  the  following  on  the  phenomena  of  Spiritism: — 

**What  must  we  think  of  the  nature  of  Spiritism, 
with  its  spirit  rappings,  table-turning,  spirit  appari- 
tions and  so  on  ?  Can  the  f adls,  which  are  not  impos- 
ture, but  realities,  be  explained  by  the  laws  of  nature, 
the  powers  of  material  agents  and  of  men  ?  All  that 
could  possibly  be  done  by  the  most  skilled  scientists, 
by  the  most  determined  materialists  who  believe  neither 
in  God  nor  in  demon,  as  well  as  by  the  most  conscien- 
tious Christians,  has  only  served  to  demonstrate  to  per- 
fe<?t  evidence  that  effecfls  are  produced  which  can  no 
more  be  attributed  to  natural  agency  than  speech  and 
design  can  be  attributed  to  a  piece  of  wood.  One  prin- 
ciple of  science  throws  much  light  on  the  nature  of  all 
those  performances,  namely,  that  every  effecfl  must 
have  a  proportionate  cause.  When  the  effect  shows 
knowledge  and  design,  the  cause  must  be  intelligent. 
Now  many  of  these  marvels  evidently  show  knowledge 
and  design,  therefore  the  cause  is  certainly  intelligent. 

*  'A  table  cannot  understand  and  anwser  questions; 
it  cannot  move  at  a  person's  bidding.  A  medium  can- 
not speak  in  a  language  he  has  never  learned,  nor  know 
the  secret  ailment  of  a  patient  far  away,  nor  prescribe 
the  proper  remedies  without  knowledge  of  medicine. 
Therefore  these  effedls  when  they  really  exist,  are  due 
to  intelligent  agents,  agents  distindl  from  the  persons 
visibly  present,  invisible  agents  therefore,  spirits  of 
another  world. 

''Who  are  these  agents?  God  and  his  good  angels 


spiritism — Demonism.  35 

cannot  work  upon  these  wretched  marvels,  the  food  of 
a  morbid  curiosity,  nor  could  they  put  themselves  at 
the  disposal  of  pious  men  to  be  trotted  out  as  monkeys 
on  the  stage.  The  spirits  which  are  made  to  appear  at 
the  seances  are  degraded  spirits.  Spiritualists  them- 
selves tell  us  they  are  lying  spirits.  Those  lying  spirits 
say  they  are  the  souls  of  the  departed,  but  who  can 
believe  their  testimony,  if  they  are  lying  spirits  as  they 
are  acknowledged  to  be  ?  This  whole  combination  of 
imposture  and  superstition  is  simply  the  revival  in  a 
modern  dress  of  a  very  ancient  deception  of  mankind 
by  playing  on  men's  craving  for  the  marvelous.  Many 
imagine  these  are  recent  discoveries,  peculiar  to  this 
age  of  progress.  Why,  this  spirit- writing  is  and  lias 
been  for  centuries  extensively  pradliced  in  benighted 
pagan  China,  while  even  Africans  and  Hindoos  are 
great  adepts  at  table  turning.  It  is  simply  the  revival 
of  ancient  witchcraft,  which  Simon  Magus  pradliced 
in  St.  Peter's  time;  which  flourished  in  Ephesus  while 
St.  Paul  was  preaching  the  gospel  there.  It  is  more 
ancient  still.  These  were  the  abominations  for  which 
God  commissioned  the  Jews  in  Moses'  time  to  exter- 
minate the  Canaanites  and  the  other  inhabitants  of  the 
promised  land." 

MODERN  SPIRITISM  AND  ITS  TENDENCIES. 


The  claim  of  Spiritists  is  that  Spiritism  is  the  new 
gospel  which  is  shortly  to  revolutionize  the  world — so- 
cially, religiously,  politically.  But,  as  we  have  just 
seen,  Spiritism,  under  various  garbs,  has  long  held 
possession  of  the  world  and  borne  bad  fruit  in  every 
clime.  It  is  nearly  fifty  years  since  the  rapping  and 
tipping  manifestations  first  occurred,  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y.  (1848),  and  gave  start  to  what  is  at  present  known 
in  the  United  States  as  *  'Spiritualism. '  *  It  began  with 
strange  noises  in  a  * 'haunted  house"  and  first  answered 


36  Wliai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

a  little  girl  who  addressed  the  unseen  author  of  the 
noises  as  *  'Old  Splithoof . ' '  It  had  a  rapid  run  of  pop- 
ularity, and  judges,  dodlors,  lawyers  and  ministers  and 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  others  speedily  became  its 
votaries,  until  its  friends  and  its  enemies  claimed  that 
its  adherents  numbered  over  ten  millions.  Believing 
in  the  consciousness  of  the  dead,  ignorant  of  the  Scriot- 
ure  teachings  on  the  subjedl  of  death  and  of  their  prohi- 
bition from  holding  communion  with  ** mediums;"  and 
very  generally  disbelieving  in  evil  spirits,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  intelligent  men  and  women,  having  proved 
to  their  own  satisf  adlion  that  supernatural  powers  were 
in  their  midst,  as  manifested  by  the  rappings,  tippings, 
slate- writings,  answers  to  questions  through  mediums, 
clairvoyances,  etc.,  should  believe  these  invisible  pow- 
ers, which  desjre  to  converse  with  them,  to  be  what 
they  profess, — their  deceased  friends.  Even  allowing 
that  there  are  certain  tricks  of  legerdemain,  and  cer- 
tain frauds  along  similar  lines,  we  cannot  wonder  that 
intelligent  people  would  believe  their  own  senses  in 
respedt  to  instances  which  they  had  personally  investi- 
gated. 

As  a  result,  for  a  time  many  of  God's  people  were 
in  great  danger,  because  of  their  failure  to  take  heed 
to  the  sure  Word  of  God's  testimony  (the  Bible)  on 
this  subjedl.  Indeed,  the  personating  spirits  seem  at 
first  to  have  been  very  careful  in  all  their  references  to 
the  Bible,  sometimes  advising  the  religious  ones  who 
attended  seances  to  do  more  reading  of  the  Bible ^  more 
praying,  etc.  But  this  was  only  to  allay  their  suspi- 
cions and  fears  and  to  get  them  more  fully  under  their 
influence.  Gradually  the  teachings  became  more  and 
more  lax,  and  the  student  was  given  to  understand 


spiritism — Demonism.  37 

that  the  Bible  was  better  than  nothing  to  the  unini- 
tiated world,  but  to  those  who  had  come  to  have  inter- 
course with  the  spirits  diredl^  the  Bible  was  useless,— 
and  worse,  a  hindrance. 

Well  has  an  able  writer  upon  the  subjedl  said  of 
Spiritism,— 

**A  system  which  commences  with  light,  inno- 
cent, trifling  and  frivolous  performances  and  communi- 
cations, but  which  ends  in  leading  its  followers  to  deny 
"  the  I/ord  that  bought  them/*  and  to  rejedt  the 
Word  of  God  which  liveth  and  al>ideth  forever,  gives 
evidence  that  there  may  be  a  deep  purpose  under  all 
its  fantastic  tricks;  and  that  the  craft  of  the  Old  Ser- 
pent, who  is  a  liar  from  the  beginning,  may  underlie 
those  trifling  and  unimportant  communications  which, 
by  stimulating  curiosity  and  inspiring  confidence,  Itill 
to  slumber  the  suspicions  of  honest  but  undisceraing 
souls,  until  they  are  in  the  fatal  coils  of  the  Enemy  of 
all  righteousness." 

These  demons  who  personate  the  dead,  seeing  that 
a  new  dispensation  is  opening,  were  prompt  to  apply 
their  knowledge  as  far  as  possible  to  the  advancement 
of  their  own  cause,  and  freely  declared  a  new  dispen- 
sation at  hand,  and  Spiritism  the  guiding  angel  which 
was  to  lead  mankind  safely  into  it;  and  they  have  not 
hesitated  to  declare  that  the  new  dispensation  means 
the  utter  wreck  of  the  present  social  order,  and  the  es- 
tablishment of  Spiritism  as  the  new  order.  In  some 
instances,  where  they  thought  it  would  serve  their  pur- 
pose, they  have  not  hesitated  to  declare  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  and  on  one  occasion  at  least  it  was 
distindlly  stated  that  Christ  had  come  a  second  time: 
and  it  was  intimated  that  they  were  ready  if  any  one 
chose  to  grant  communication  with  Christ  through  the 
medium. 


38  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

Many  of  God's  people  have  been  saved  from  being 
ensnared  into  this  great  evil,  by  what  we  might  term 
their  own  spiritual  sense ^  by  which  they  discerned  that 
there  was  something  in  connedlion  with  Spiritism  quite 
at  variance  with  the  spirit  of  our  Lord  and  the  senti- 
ments of  his  Word.  We  may  safely  conclude,  how- 
ever, on  the  strength  of  the  Lord's  promise,  that  none 
of  the  fully  consecrated— the  **eledl"  are  suffered  to 
be  fully  ensnared.— Matt.  24:  24. 

The  strongly  marked  tendency  of  Spiritism  toward 
free-loveism  served  to  bring  it  into  general  disrepute 
amongst  the  pure  minded,  who  concluded  that,  if  the 
influence  of  the  dead  was  properly  represented  in  some 
.living  advocates  of  Spiritism,— then  the  social  condi- 
tions beyond  the  vale  of  death  must  be  much  worse, 
much  more  impure,  than  they  are  in  the  present  life, 
instead  of  much  better,  as  these  demon  spirits  claim. 

We  could  make  voluminous  quotations  from  Spir- 
itist writings,  proving  that  it  totally  denies  the  Bible, 
and  that  it  is  in  diredl  opposition  to  its  teachings; 
that  it  has  denied  the  very  existence  of  God,  teaching 
instead  merely  a  good  principle  y  and  that  every  man  is 
a  god.  It  denies  the  atonement  and  the  Lordship  of 
Christ,  while  it  claims  that  he  was  a  spirit- medium 
of  low  degree;  and  furthermore,  abundant  testimony 
could  be  quoted  from  prominent  Spiritists  proving 
that  the  tendencies  of  Spiritism  are  extremely  demoral- 
izing.    We  will  content  ourselves  with  one. 

Here  is  the  testimony  of  J.  F.  Whitney,  editor  of 
the  Pathfinder  (^,Y J),  Having  been  a  warm  and 
evidently  an  honest  defender  and  advocate  of  Spiritism 
for  a  long  time  and  well  acquainted  with  its  devotees, 
his  is  a  testimony  hard  to  impeach.     He  says;— 


'*Now,  after  a  long  and  constant  watchfulness,  seeing 
for  months  and  years  its  progress  and  its  pradlical  work' 
ings  upon  its  devotees,  its  believers,  and  its  mediums, 
we  are  compelled  to  speak  our  honest  convidlion,  which 
is,  that  the  manifestations  coming  through  the  acknowl- 
edged mediums,  who  are  designated  as  rapping,  tip- 
ping, writing  and  entrance  mediums,  kave  a  baneful 
influence  upon  believers^  and  create  discord  and  confu- 
sion; that  the  generality  of  thec^i  teachings  inculcate 
false  ideas,  approve  of  selfish  individual  adls,  and  en- 
dorse theories  and  principles  which,  when  carried  out, 
debase  and  make  man  little  better  than  the  brute.  These 
are  among  the  fruits  of  modern  Spiritualism.  .  .  . 

**Seeing,  as  we  have,  the  gradual  progress  it  makes 
with  its  believers,  particularly  its  mediums,  from  lives 
of  morality  to  those  of  sensuality  and  immorality^  grad- 
ually and  cautiously  undermining  the  foundation  of 
good  principles,  we  look  back  with  amazement  to  the 
radical  change  which  a  few  months  will  bring  about 
in  individuals;  for  its  tendency  is  to  approve  and  en- 
dorse each  individual  adt  and  charadkr,  however  good 
or  bad  these  ads  may  be.'* 

He  concludes  by  saying — **We  desire  to  send  forth 
our  warning  voice,  and  if  our  humble  position,  as  the 
head  of  a  public  journal,  our  known  [former]  advoca- 
cy of  Spiritualism,  our  experience,  and  the  conspicu- 
ous part  we  have  played  among  its  believers,  the  hon- 
esty and  fearlessness  with  which  we  have  defended  the 
subjec5l,  will  weigh  anything  in  oUr  favor,  we  desire 
that  our  opinions  may  be  received,  and  those  who  are 
moving  passively  down  the  rushing  rapids  to  destruc- 
tion, should  pause,  ere  it  be  too  late,  and  save  them- 
selves from  the  blasting  influence  which  those  mani- 
festations are  causing.'* 

So  bold  and  outspokenly  immoral  did  some  of  the 
prominent  representatives  of  Spiritism  become,  spe- 
cially the  female  mediums  (and  most  of  its  mediums 
are  females)  that  the  moral  sense  of  civilization  was 


40  W^^i  Say  ike  Scripiureif 

shocked;  and  for  a  time  demonism  under  the  name  of 
''Spiritualism"  languished.  Now  that  its  past  is  meas- 
urably forgotten  or  denied,  it  is  reviving,  but  along 
somewhat  different  lines.  The  new  method  seems  to 
be  to  have  less  tipping  and  rapping  and  fewer  special 
mediums,  or  rather  to  make  of  each  believer  a  medium, 
by  the  use  of  mechanical  appliances.  Indeed,  almost 
all  who  become  inve^Llgators  are  assured  that  they 
would  make  excellent  mediums:  this  flattery  is  no 
doubt  intended  to  lure  them  on;  the  ability  to  do  *  bon- 
ders" having  a  great  fascination,  especially  for  people 
of  naturally  mediocre  talents.  Kor  is  the  statement 
untrue:  none  but  idiots  are  so  stupid  or  so  ignorant 
that  they  cannot  be  used  as  mediums;  and  they  may  be- 
come powerful  mediums  in  proportion  as  they  yield 
themselves  obediently  to  the  * 'control"  of  these  "se- 
ducing spirits"  and  their  "dodlrines  of  devils  (See  i 
Tim.  4:  i)  and  are  "led  captive"  by  Satan  at  his  will 
—2  Tim.  2:26. 

The  term  ''seducing  spirits"  exactly  fits  the  case. 
From  amusement  of  curiosity  and  answering  of  ques- 
tions, sometimes  quite  truthfully,  they  proceed  to  gain 
the  confidence  of  their  vic5lims,  and  in  a  plausible  man- 
ner to  break  down  the  will  power  and  make  slaves  of 
them.  Then  they  tyrannize  in  a  most  diabolical  man- 
ner, leading  into  excesses  of  various  kinds.  Should 
conscience  rebel  or  an  attempt  be  made  to  get  freefiom 
this  slavery^  all  reserve  is  cast  aside  and  the  vidlim  is 
taunted  with  his  fall,  persuaded  that  there  is  no  hope 
for  him,  and  that  his  only  future  pleasure  must  be  in 
diabolism— Scriptures  being  skillfully  quoted  and  cited 
to  apparently  prove  this. 

A  case  of  this  kind  came  under  the  writer's  ob- 


Spiriitsm-  Demonism,  41 

servation  in  1895,  A  gentleman  who  had  occasionally 
attended  on  preaching  asked  that  an  interview  be  grant- 
ed his  sister  whom  he  would  bring  from  Cleveland  for 
the  purpose.  She  was,  he  said,  laboring  under  the  de- 
lusion that  she  had  committed  the  unpardonable  sin, 
and  he  hoped  we  could  disabuse  her  mind  of  the 
thought  which  sometimes  made  her  ^ '  wild. ' '  We  con- 
sented, and  she  came.  She  conversed  rationally  enough 
but  assured  us  that  her  case  was  hopeless.  We  explained 
the  Scriptures  relating  to  the  ''Sin  unto  death'*  and 
endeavored  to  show  her  that  she  had  never  had  sufiS- 
cient  light  to  come  under  its  conditions,  but  we  could 
make  no  headway.  She  declared  that  she  had  been  in 
a  salvable  condition  once,  but  was  so  no  longer. 

She  told  us  how  she  had  met  in  California  a  man 
who  had  a  familiar  spirit  and  occult  powers:  at  first 
disbelieving,  she  afterward  became  his  co-worker  in 
**mysteries''  resembling  witchcraft,  and  had  finally 
inveigled  and  injured  a  dear  female  friend.  Since  then 
remorse  had  siezed  her,  and  she  had  been  tortured  and 
at  times  frenzied  and  hope  had  forever  fled.  Before 
she  left  us  she  seemed  comforted  a  little  by  what  we 
told  her  of  divine  compassion  and  the  abundant  provi- 
sion made  in  the  great  ransom  for  all  given  at  Calvary. 
But  we  have  heard  since  that  she  lost  hope  again  and 
has  been  placed  in  an  asylum  to  hinder  her  from  tak- 
ing her  own  life.  She  could  not  be  trusted  alone:  she 
would  attempt  to  throw  herself  headlong  from  a  win- 
dow, or  while  quietly  walking  the  street  would  attempt 
to  throw  herself  under  passing  vehicles; — reminding  us 
of  the  case  mentioned  in  Mark  9:  22.  We  have  re- 
gretted, since,  that  instead  of  merely  reasoning  with 
^n  poor  woman  we  did  not,  ilso.  la  thg  name  of  the 


^  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

Cord,  exorcise  the  evil  spirit  which  evidently  possessed 
her;  or,  failing  to  cast  it  out,  at  least  have  instructed 
and  helped  her  to  exercise  her  will  power  to  resist  the 
demon. 

There  are  good  spirits,  as  the  Scriptures  freely 
declare;  and  these  holy  angels  are  charged  with  the 
care  of  all  who  are  fully  consecrated  to  the  Lord. 
These,  however,  do  not  operate  in  darkness,  nor  through 
* 'mediums,**  and  have  better  employment  than  tipping 
tables,  rapping  out  answers  to  foolish  questions  and 
entertaining  humanity.  *  'Are  they  not  all  ministering 
spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be 
heirs  of  salvation?**  (Heb.  i:  14.)  There  is  no  war- 
rant, however,  for  seeking  or  expeding  communica- 
tions  from  these  holy  guardian  angels:  God's  will  be- 
ing that  his  "eledl**  shall  walk  by  faith  and  not  by 
unusual  manifestations  or  sights  or  sounds.  To  this 
end  he  has  prepared  his  Word  as  a  storehouse  of  knowl- 
edge from  which  his  faithful  shall  be  supplied  with 
"meat  in  due  season:**  and  he  declares  it  to  be  suffi- 
cient that  the  man  of  God  may  be  thoroughly  furnished 
unto  every  good  work, — 2  Tim.  3:17. 

Furthermore,  it  may  be  set  down  as  a  sure  sign  of 
evil  (either  germinating  or  developed),  for  any  one  to 
attempt  to  get  control  of  the  will  and  mind  of  another 
—as  in  mesmerism,  spirit- mediumship,  hypnotism  and 
the  like.  The  I,ord  respedls  our  individuality  and  ap- 
peals to  it,  and  urges  our  5^^- control  in  harmony  with 
the  principles  of  righteousness  laid  down  in  his  Word. 
But  Spiritism  asks  an  abandonment  of  ^^^-control 
in  favor  of  spirit  control.  No  one  of  ordinary  prudence 
would  dare  to  give  up  the  use  and  control  of  his  mind 
and  will  to  fellow  men   much  less  to  unseen  powers 


spiritism — Demonism.  43 

which  merely  profess  to  be  good  and  great  and  wise. 
No  Christian  who  has  the  slightest  confidence  in  the 
Bible  as  the  inspired  Word  of  God  should  submit  him- 
self to  these  influences  as  a  * 'medium,'*  or  even  become 
an '  'investigator' '  of  that  concerning  which  God's  Word 
has  given  us  so  explicit  warnings  • —  that  it  is  a  way 
that  leads  from  God  and  righteousness  to  sin,  and  ruin, 
mental,  moral  and  physical. 

One  of  the  simple  modern  devices  for  awakening 
interest  and  leading  on  to  fuller  ''mediumship,*'  ''pos- 
session" and  "control,"  is  described  in  a  letter  just  re- 
ceived, dated  March  11,  '97,  from  a  Christian  lady,  a 
school  teacher  in  Georgia,  and  a  deeply  interested  stu- 
dent of  God's  plan  of  the  ages.     The  writer  says: — 

^'I  have  been  having  a  rather  strange  and  perhaps 
unwise  experience  lately.  My  husband's  brother  is  a 
Spiritualist,  takes  the  Progressive  (?)  Thinker  and  is 
thoroughly  imbued  with  its  teachings,  and,  when  I  visit 
there,  he  reads  articles  from  it  and  asks  my  opinion 
concerning  them;  especially  those  from  persons  claim- 
ing to  have  received  messages  from  'departed  friends' 
through  the  aid  of  the  mediums.  Now  I  never  have 
thought  it  'all  humbug'  as  many  do,  tho  there  is  much 
fraud  connedled  with  it — for  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
Bible  plainly  teaches  that  spirits  have  had,  and  will 
have,  the  power  to  communicate  with  men.  I  have 
told  him  that  I  believed  those  communications  came 
from  fallen  angels  who  personated  the  dead  for  the 
purpose  of  deceiving  men  into  believing  Satan's  ola 
lie,  "Thou  shalt  not  surely  die."  But  as  my  brother- 
inlaw  does  not  accept  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God, 
my  opinion  had  little  weight  with  him.  His  wife  (who 
is  a  firm  believer  in  Dawn)  is  much  troubled  over  his 
belief;  and  both  have  found  their  difference  of  opinion 
any  thing  but  pleasant,  tho  his  wife  avoids  thesubjedl 
as  much  as  possible  with  fidelity  to  the  truth.    Some 


44  What  Say  ike  Scnpturtif 

time  ago  he  bought  a  Psycograph^  an  instrument  used 
by  mediums  for  communing  with  spirits,  but  he  could 
not  use  it. 

"A  few  days  ago  it  was  placed  in  my  hands,  and,  as 
I  found  I  was  a  medium,  I  resolved  to  *  'try  the  spirits. ' ' 
[This  is  a  misapplication  of  Scripture,  as  shown  later. 
Editor.]  About  the  first  thing  it  said  to  me  was  that 
there  is  a  valuable  gold  mine  on  our  place:  that  did 
not  surprise  me,  as  we  had  been  told  that  a  *  'vein' '  had 
been  traced  across  the  place.  It  described  the  exadl 
location  to  dig  for  it;  said  it  is  only  7^ feet  below  the 
surface.  So  that  will  not  be  difficult  to  prove.  Then 
it  gave  me  some  Scripture  messages^  Col.  i :  4,  5  and 
2:4.  I  asked  what  was  meant  by  "enticing  words" 
and  was  answered,  Bellamy,  Christian  Science,  Spirit- 
ualism, Ingersolism,  etc.  I  asked  who  was  talking, 
and  was  told  Epaphras.  That  did  not  seem  to  please 
my  brother-in-law  very  much,  and  he  said  he  would 
like  to  hear  from  some  one  we  had  known  in  the  flesh, 
so  I  asked  if  such  an  one  were  present,  and  was  told, 
**Yes,  Eastman"  (a  stranger  to  me,  but  my  brother-in- 
law  and  his  wife,  who  alone  were  present,  were  both 
acquainted  with  him).  When  asked  what  he  wished 
to  say  he  cited  us  to  Titus  3:5,  said  Millenniai.  Dawn 
docflrine  is  true,  and  that  his  wealth  had  hindered  him 
from  gaining  the  prize  of  the  high  calling.  I,  said 
Eastman,  was  not  thought  a  very  good  Christian,  tho 
a  member  of  the  church. 

"The  next  day  I  tried  the  wheel  or  Psychograph 
again,  and  was  told  that  a  dear  p^ood  friend  of  mine 
who  had  lived  in  speaking  distance  of  me  for  several 
years  was  talking  to  me.  She  asked  me  to  write  to  her 
husband  and  tell  him,  that  she  said,  a  certain  boy  (giv- 
ing name)  was  having  a  bad  influence  over  their  boy. 
She  told  me  that  my  husband  (who  is  in  Florida)  was 
hurt  and  was  very  lame,  and  I  got  a  letter  from  him 
day  before  yesterday  confirming  it.  She  said  she  re- 
gretted that  she  had  not  given  Dawn  the  attention 
that  I  had  wished  her  to,  that  she  had  life  on  the  an- 


spiritism — Demonism.  45 

gelic  plane;  she  also  told  me  of  the  '*mine.'*  I  asked 
did  she  know  the  one  claiming-  to  be  Eastman,  and  she 
said  yes,  that  it  was  a  deceiving  spirit  personating  him^ 
and  that  I  would  best  not  make  use  of  the  means  through 
which  I  could  receive  such  communications.  One 
claiming  to  be  Cephas  cited  me  to  the  first  chapter  of 
Daniel,  Another,  claiming  to  be  my  father,  said  in 
substance  the  same.  All  said  the  same  about  the  gold 
*'mine,"  and  all  professed  to  believe  in  Christ  and  that 
Dav/n  is  a  correct  exponent  of  God's  Word,  and  told 
me  that  I  wis  failing  10  make  the  best  use  of  one  of 
my  * 'gifts"— teaching;  that  I  should  teach  publicly  as 
well  as  individuals,  but  was  cautioned  with  i  Cor.  3: 
7  and  Kph.  4:  2. 

"During  the  little  time  I  experimented  with  the  in- 
strument I  was  told  many  things  (a  few  of  which  were 
not  true)  that  would  take  too  much  of  your  time  to 
tell  you;  and  several  of  the  ''spirits  claimed  that  they 
would  heal  the  sick  through  me,  if  I  would  only  trust 
them.  A  great  deal  of  Scripture  w^as  given,  and  all 
very  appropriate  to  those  for  whom  it  was  given;  but 
the  Devil  quoted  Scripture  to  Christ;  and  I  still  think 
the  same  as  I  did  before  "trying  the  spirits,"— -only  I 
was  not  sure  that  fallen  angels  would  admit,  even  for 
the  purpose  of  deceiving,  that  Christ  had  "come  in  the 
flesh;"  but  it  seems  now  they  will.  Probably  i  John  4: 
1-3  refers  tododtrinesof  men  wholly.  Of  course,  it  would 
be  possible  for  those  who  shall  have  '  'part  in  the  first 
resurredtion' '  to  speak  through  such  a  device,  but  is  it 
probable  that  they  will  ?  I  will  be  glad  to  hear  from 
you  on  this  subje(5l. 

[That  passage  has  reference  to  men,  —  dodlrines 
among  men.  It  may  be  remarked  here  that  the  evil 
spirits  not  only  have  knowledge  of  present  events,  but, 
by  some  power  can  frequently  closely  approximate  the 
future.  In  one  instance  under  our  notice  two  deaths 
within  a  year  were  foretold:  one  of  the  parties  died,  the 
other  became  seriously  ill.  but  recoveredo  Some  power 


46  W/iaf  Say  the  Scriptures? 

is  in  Satan's  hand,  but  with  hmitations.     Compare 
Heb.  2:14;  Psa.  97:10;  116: 15  and  Job  2:3-6. — Editor.] 

*  *  What  experience  I  have  had  tends  to  confirm 
your  teaching — that  the  communications  are  from  the 
fallen  angels.  They  are  very  unreliable.  One  can  but 
feel  how  impossible  it  will  be  in  these  closing  days  of 
the  Gospel  age  for  any  one  to  * 'stand"  who  has  not  a 
firm  foundation  for  faith.'*  — — ~. 

Here  is  an  illustration  of  the  insidious  methods  of 
these  demons.  I^ike  Satan  and  the  evil  spirits  of  our 
Lord's  day,  they  will  confess  Christ  and  the  truth. 
Similarly,  the  woman  * 'possessed"  followed  Paul  and 
Silas  several  days  sayiag  truly  (  Ads  16: 16-18  ), 
* 'These  men  are  the  servants  of  the  most  high  God, 
which  show  unto  us  the  way  of  salvation. ' '  But  for 
that  matter,  abundant  evidence  could  be  adduced  that 
they  would  confirm  and  approve  almost  any  doc^lrine 
or  theory  held  precious  by  the  inquirer  in  order  to  gain 
his  confidence,  and  thus  a  fuller  power  over  him. 

Respedling  the  "mine," — that  is  a  bait  to  draw 
and  hold  the  interest.  It  is  questionable  whether  the 
fallen  angels  can  see  deeper  into  the  earth  than  can 
mankind.  Of  course,  it  might  happe^t  that  the  gold  in 
paying  quantities  might  be  found  on  any  of  the  gold- 
bearing  veins  of  Georgia,  but  the  experiences  of  min- 
ers in  general  and  of  drillers  for  petroleum  who  have 
been  "direcfled  by  spirits,"  or  who  have  used  * 'divin- 
ing rods,"  has  been  that,  in  the  end,  they  lost  money 
by  following  such  diredlions.  The  presumption  must 
therefore  be  that,  if  the  "lying  spirits"  are  not  deceiv- 
ing by  misrepresenting  themselves  as  possessing  knowl- 
edge  when  they  have  none,  then  the  same  malevolence 
which  leads  them  as  "seducing  spirits"  to  lure  man- 


spiritism — Demonism.  47 

kind  to  moral  and  mental  wreck,  leads  them  to  take 
pleasure  in  misleading  them  to  financial  wreck.  Iky- 
ing spirits,  like  lying  men,  are  not  to  be  believed  or 
trusted  under  any  circumstances. 

Concerning  the  advice  to  ** teach":  coming  from 
such  a  quarter,  it  should  rather  incline  us  to  fear  that 
the  demons  saw  in  the  Sister  a  weakness  in  that  direc- 
tion from  which  she  would  be  most  easily  assailable. 
It  is  safe  to  conclude  in  advance  that  their  advice  is 
either  diredlly  or  indiredlly  intended  to  do  us  harm. 
And  notice  the  cunning  which  sought  to  guard  against 
suspicion  by  quoting  texts  cautioning  to  Jmmility! 

True,  the  people  need  instrudlion,  and  all  in- 
structors are  ''teachers;"  but  it  is  very  unsafe  for 
anyone  to  think  of  himself  or  herself  as  a  teacher. 
The  preferable  plan,  by  far,  is  for  each  to  be  a  pupil 
in  the  school  of  Christ  the  great  Teacher;  and  to  be 
ready  to  learn  of  him  through  any  channel,  or  to  be  used 
by  him  in  helping  to  make  plain  to  others  his  teach- 
ings. Each  one  who  learns  anything  of  the  Lord 
should  tell  it  to  others,  not  as  his  own  wisdom  and 
teaching,  but  the  Lord's,  and  himself  merely  the  chan- 
nel which  gladly  passes  the  water  of  life  on  to  others. 
No  wonder  the  holy  spirit  cautions  us,  **Be  not  many 
of  you  teachers,  my  brethren,  knowing  that  we  [teach- 
ers] shall  have  the  greater  judgment  [or  severer 
trial] . ' '  — James  3:1. 

With  the  thought  of  teaching  others  is  closely  as- 
sociated the  thought  of  superior  wisdom;  and  from  the 
first  this  has  been  Satan's  bait.  To  mother  Eve  his 
promise  as  the  reward  of  disobedience  was,  **Ye  shall 
be  [wise]  as  gods. '  *  And  the  temptation  to  her  was 
that  she  perceived  from  his  arguments  that  the  forbid- 


48  W?ia^  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

den  fruit  was  desirable  ^'to  7nake  ojie  wise.'^  Alas,  the 
wisdom  which  Satan  gives  is  very  undesirable.  It  is 
'•[i]  earthl}^  [2]  sensual,  [3]  devilish;"  as  many,  too 
late,  have  discovered.  But  on  the  contrary,  *'the  wis- 
dom which  Cometh  down  from  above  is  first  pure,  then 
[2]  peaceable,  [3]  gentle,  [4]  easy  to  be  entreated, 
[5]  luU  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  [6]  without  partial- 
ity and  without  hypocrisy."  (Jas.  3:  15-17-)  No  won- 
der the  inspired  Apostle  said,  *  'I  fear  lest  by  any  means 
as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve,  by  subtilty  [cunning] ,  so 
your  minds  should  be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity 
\^purity\  that  is  in  Christ."  (2  Cor.  11:3.)  I^et  us 
therefore  lose  no  opportunity  for  telling  the  *  'good  tid- 
ings of  great  joy;"— but  let  us  lose  sight  of  ourselves  as 
teachers  and  point  all,  as  brethren  and  fellow-pilgrims, 
to  the  words  and  example  of  the  great  Teacher  and  of 
the  twelve  inspired  apostles  whom  he  appointed  as  our 
instrudlors,  our  teachers. 

We  advised  the  Sister  further,  that  it  was  very 
iinwise  to  disobey  the  divine  instrudions  (Isa.  8:  19, 
20)  by  having  anythmg  whatever  to  do  with  these  ''se- 
ducing spirits. "  These  are  not  the  spirits  which  we 
are  to  "try"  "whether  they  be  of  God,"  for  God  has 
already  forewarned  us  that  they  are  not  of  him,  but  that 
they  are  "wicked  spirits."  As  well  might  we  use  the 
Apostle's  words  as  an  excuse  for  trying  all  the  various 
brands  of  intoxicating  spirits  tC»  see  if  one  could  be 
found  which  would  not  make  drunk.  These  "famil- 
iar," wicked  spirits  claim,  that  they  are  numerous,  a 
"legion"  possessing  one  man:  they  would  ask  no  more 
than  that  humanity  should  '  7ry"  them  all.  A  fair  trial  or 
*  'test' '  is  just  what  they  request  and  they  succeed  sooner 
or  later  in  enslaving  most  of  those  who  test  themo 


Spiritism— Demm^isMo  49 

In  the  passage  which  says,  * 'Beloved,  believe  not 
every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits  whether  they  be  of  God' ' 
(i  John  4: 1-6),  the  word  spirits  is  used  in  the  sense 
of  teaching  or  docflrine  and  has  no  reference  to  spirit 
beings.  This  is  shown  by  the  verses  following,  which 
declare  that  we  are  to  ''try"  or  discern  between  **the 
spirit  of  truth  and  the  spirit  of  error.''*  And  this  may 
be  quickly  done,  for  all  false  do(ftrines  either  diredlly 
or  indiredlly  deny  that  *  ^ChxlstdvA  for  otcr  sins ;^'  that 
"'the  man  Christ  "^^susgave  himself  a  ransom  for  all." 

Assuredly  we  should  not  expecfl  that  the  I^ord, 
nor  any  in  harmony  with  him,  will  ever  make  use  of 
methods  which  the  * 'lying  spirits''  use  and  which  God 
in  his  Word  has  condemned  and  forbidden.  To  do  so 
would  expose  God's  people  to  all  the  "wiles  of  the 
devil." 

The  Sister  sent  us  an  advertisement  of  the  Psycho- 
graph  which  says, — 

"Do  you  wish  to  investigate  Spiritualism?  Do 
you  wish  to  develop  Mediumship  ?  Do  you  desire  to 
receive  communications  ?  The  psychograph  is  an  in- 
valuable assistant.  Many,  who  were  not  aware  of  their 
mediumistic  gift,  have,  after  a  few  sittings,  been  able 
to  receive  delightful  messages.  Many,  who  began 
with  it  as  an  amusing  toy,  found  that  the  intelligence 
controlling  it  knew  more  than  themselves,  and  became 
converts  to  Spiritualism." 

Thus  does  Satan  now  make  use  of  the  belief  com- 
mon to  all  denominations  of  Christians  as  well  as  heath- 
endom, that  the  dead  are  not  dead  but  are  angels  hov- 
ering round  us;  and  what  is  more  calculated  to  "se- 
duce" them  than  just  such  a  toy? 

By  the  same  mail  came  the  samples  of  The  Pro- 
gressive Thinker, — a  Spiritualist  organ  of  the  most  pro- 
4 


JO  Wkaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

nounced  type.  We  examined  it,  having  in  view  mattet 
for  this  article,  and  to  our  surprise  found  that  several 
of  its  leading  articles  freely  conceded  that  the  vast 
majority  of  the  communicating  spirits  are  evil  spirits 
which  seek  influence  over  human  beings  in  order  to 
work  their  ruin:  and  if  possible  to  get  possession  of 
them  to  make  them  crazy.  It  told  of  written  commun- 
ications dropped  into  a  room  signed  "Beelzebub"  and 
"Devil."  In  one  column  under  the  caption  "A  Crit- 
ical Study  of  Obsession,"  was  an  account  of  a  poor 
woman  who  had  been  so  beset  by  evil  spirits  that  she 
was  sent  to  an  Insane  Asylum  and  who  finally  got  rid 
of  their  torments;  and  it  gives  her  statement,  "I  prayed 
them  away. '  *  Asked,  *  *To  whom  did  you  pray  ?"  her 
recorded  answer  is,  "To  the  Ever-living  God.  He  on- 
ly can  answer  prayer. "  And  yet  in  another  column 
God's  name  is  blasphemed,  under  the  caption,  "Peter 
and  Paul, ' '  from  which  we  quote  these  words — "Moses, 
who  tho  said  to  be  learned  in  all  the  Egyptian  skill, 
was  the  very  meanest  of  men,  and  for  his  God  errone- 
ously took  Jehovah,  a  departed  spirit  of  an  Egyptian 
disappointed  aspirant  to  some  lucrative  or  ecclesiasti- 
cal office." 

In  the  same  issue  (April  3,  '97),  under  the  head- 
ing— <  'Thoughts  Illustrating  the  Status  of  Spiritualism, 
and  the  Dangers  that  Beset  the  Honest  Investigator," 
by  Charles  Dawbran,  we  have  a  notice  of  a  book  by  an 
English  Clergyman,  entitled  "The  Great  Secret  or  the 
Modern  Mystery  of  Spiritualism."  Introducing  the 
author  the  article  says: — 

*  'His  experiences  commenced  with  the  develop- 
ment of  his  wife  as  a  writing  medium,  through  whom, 
from  time  to  time,  he  received  such  tests  as  delight  the 


spiritism — Demonism,  51 

heart  of  the  worshiper  of  phenomena.  He  also  seems 
to  have  made  the  acquaintance  of  almost  every  public 
medium  who  has  at  any  time  been  high  priest  or  priest- 
ess of  the  Occult,  to  the  worthy  citizens  of  I^ondon. 
And  he  has  apparently  been  a  welcomed  visitor  to  the 
homes  and  seances  of  every  distinguished  investigator 
or  full-fledged  believer  in  that  city  during  the  forty 
years  of  which  he  writes.  He  has  included  hypnotism 
in  his  investigations,  and  has  been  successful  both  as 
operator  and  subje<5l.  He  has  even  dabbled  a  little  in 
'Black  Magic,*  at  least  sufficient  to  prove  it  a  dread 
reality.  So  we  have  in  this  author  a  man  most  un- 
usually qualified  to  deal  intelligently  with  the  subjedl. 
That  he  is  now,  and  has  for  almost  all  these  years  been 
a  believer  is  evident,  for  he  narrates  incidents  and 
proofs  which  would  carry  convi<5lion  to  every  intelli- 
gent and  unprejudiced  mind.  But  his  trouble  has  been 
that  of  every  experienced  investigator.  He  has  not 
only  witnessed  much  phenomena  that  could  be  ex- 
plained as  due  to  the  normal  or  abnormal  powers  of  the 
mortal,  but  where  there  has  been  an  evident  'ghost' 
at  work,  mistakes,  and  at  times  evident  fraud^  have 
troubled  his  ecclesiastical  soul. 

'  *So  we  have  little  but  the  usual  mixed  experiences 
of  the  average  intelligent  investigator.  A  grain  of 
wheat  to  a  bushel  of  chaff  is  claimed  by  the  Spiritualist 
as  abundant  compensation  for  the  toil  and  trouble  of 
long  years  of  waiting  upon  the  *  dear  spirits.*  And  to 
some  minds  perhaps  it  is.  But  to  others  there  have  ever 
been  fierce  attempts  to  increase  the  crop  of  truth.  And 
it  is  herein  that  the  experiences  of  this  clergyman  be- 
come interesting  to  every  truth-lover  the  world  over. 
He,  as  we  have  said,  has  had  abundant  experience  in 
both  public  and  private  seances,  but  his  pathway  to 
progress  seemed  blocked.  He  was  just  as  liable  to  the 
usual  imperfe5lions  of  spirit  intercourse  after  many  years 
of  such  investigatio7i ,  as  in  the  very  first  sittings  with  his 
own  wife  and  a  few  chosen  friends. 

**So  the  question  became:  *  Is  progress  possible?' 


52  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

And  to  solve  this  lie  tried  an  experiment  which  in- 
spires the  present  writer  to  call  this  attention  to  his 
book.  For  as  we  have  seen,  the  rest  was  what  almost 
everybody  can  endorse,  and  say  *  me  too.'  He  deter- 
mined to  seek  spirit  intercourse  from  the  highest  plane 
possible  to  the  mortal,  so  that  if  there  be  truth  to  the 
maxim  'like  to  like'  he  might  attracfl  the  very  highest, 
and  repel  those  who  come  from  the  unseen  to  trouble 
and  perplex  weary  mortals.  He  devoted  a  house  to 
that  purpose.  Not  merely  were  there  rooms  for  use 
by  mediums  and  circles  of  investigators  or  believers, 
but  a  chapel  was  prepared  where  he  himself  condu<5led 
a  religious  service  twice  a  week,  and  it  was  at  the  con- 
clusion of  this  service  that  a  special  seance  was  held  by 
the  believers  present.  The  surroundings  were  most 
solemn.  Frivolity  was  conspicuous  only  by  its  ab- 
sence. The  spirits  had  promised  great  results.  For 
over  a  year  at  one  time,  and  for  months  at  others,  these 
meetings  were  continued.  But  no  promise  was  fulfild. 
Prayers  to  God  for  light  and  truth  proved  no  more  ef- 
ficacious than  the  eternal  'Nearer  my  God  to  thee'  of 
the  usual  public  seance,  with  its  miscellaneous  crowd. 

* '  So  our  poor  clergj^man  has  his  one  grain  of  wheat 
after  forty  years  of  honest  attempt  to  make  at  least  a 
pint  of  it.  He  clings  to  that  atom  of  truth  with  his 
whole  soul,  but  his  earnest  attempt  at  progress  has 
proved  a  life-long  failure,  altho,  apparently,  every  con- 
dition was  favorable  to  success.  S'nce  such  is  the  ex- 
perience of  the  thousands,  once  zealous,  who  have  be- 
come *  silent '  believers  from  the  same  cause,  we  may 
well  ask:  Is  modern  Spiritualism  fixed  and  bounded 
like  the  theological  systems  of  the  past  and  present  ? 
Is  there  no  hope  of  solving  its  problems,  overcoming 
its  barriers,  and  reaching  a  higher  manhood  on  this 
side  of  the  life  line  ?  Is  the  honest  and  convinced  in- 
vestigator presently  to  become  discouraged,  almost  as 
a  matter  of  course  ?  ' 

The  claim  made  by  Spintists  ia  tha:  gcoa,  st;ir::s 
commune  with  good  people,  and  e^il  spirits  witn  ev.ii 


spiritism — Demonism.  53 

people  is  thus  disproved.  Could  stronger  testimony 
than  this  be  produced  in  evidence  that  all  spirit  com- 
munications are  f^  ,m  evil  spirits  and  are  wholly  unre- 
liable ?  The  writer,  further  on  in  the  same  Spiritist 
journal,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  experiences 
of  another  "  believer,"  for  which  he  vouches  : — 

* '  For  a  score  of  years  he  had  been  true  to  his  con- 
vidlions,  endeavoring  to  reduce  all  belief  to  a  basis  of 
provable  fadts.  His  own  sensitiveness  permitted  spirit 
approach,  and  sometimes  the  heavens  had  seemed  to 
open  to  shower  blessings  on  his  soul.  But  foes  came 
as  readily  as  friends  whenever  the  gate  was  ajar,  so 
that,  for  the  most  part,  safety  compelled  him  to  avoid 
personal  experience  of  spirit  return.  The  adlive  mind 
offers  poor  foothold  to  any  spirit,  so  he  accepted  public 
office  and  labored  zealously  for  the  public  weal.  But 
at  intervals  the  experiences  reappeared,  and  it  see^ned 
as  if  the  battle  had  to  be  fought  all  over  again,  fie 
failed  to  find  a  dire<5l  cause  which  might  account  for 
the  presence  of  his  foes.  But  they  seemed  to  have 
certain  gathering  points.  For  instance,  he  could  rarely 
visit  a  public  library  to  seledt  a  book  but  that  he  would 
be  followed  and  annoyed  for  hours  by  some  *  'invisible, ' ' 
seeking  to  control  him.  It  is  true,  each  battle,  when 
fought  to  vi(5lory,  was  usually  followed  by  a  brief  and 
happy  re-union  with  angel  friends,  but  the  sense  of 
danger  made  him  only  the  more  earnest  to  c"'ose  the 
door  to  all  spirit  return.  His  method  of  fighting  off 
the  inffuence  was  to  resolutely  fix  his  mind  on  some 
matter  of  interest  in  his  daily  affairs.  And  this  would, 
sooner  or  later,  prove  successful  every  time.  Any  at- 
tempt to  gain  help  from  the  spirit  side  of  life  only 
seemed  to  give  added  power  to  the  foe.'* 

This  man  had  evidently  progressed  in  Spiritism  so 
that  he  had  become  a  *  *  clairaudient  medium."  The 
supposed  good  spirits  or  "angel  friends"  which  some- 
times visited  him  were  merely  the  same  evil  spirits 


54  WJiai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

called  by  the  writer  *  'foes  ;*  *  but  they  transformed  them- 
selves to  his  mind  by  assuming  an  opposite  attitude 
when  they  found  him  getting  avv^ay  from  their  influ- 
ence ; — to  keep  him  from  abandoning  them  altogether, 
and  in  hope  that  by  and  by  they  would  get  such  an  in- 
fluence over  him  that  escape  would  be  impossible. 

From  the  same  journal,  under  the  heading,  *  *  In- 
cidents With  Good  Advice,'*  after  giving  two  cases 
of  pronounced  insanity,  the  dire(ft  result  of  **  spirit 
control,"  we  find  the  following  advice: — • 

**  The  lesson  I  would  draw  is  this:  Never  sit  alone, 
if  there  is  the  least  probability  of  the  controls  over- 
coming one's  judgment.  Even  though  their  intentions 
may  be  good,  as  in  Mr.  B.'s  case;  yet  their  experience 
has  been  insufficient  with  regard  to  the  management 
of  tt>ediums,  and  their  operations  may  become  very  in- 
judicious. Never  permit  a  control  to  cause  you  to  do 
that  which  your  judgment  cannot  sancflion,  no  matter 
under  what  promise  it  is  given.  Only  evil  designing 
controls  are  liable  to  resort  to  such  measures. 

*  *  These  cases  call  to  mind  the  thought  that  un- 
doubtedly there  are  many  others  in  the  asylums,  who 
are  simply  the  vidlims  of  control.  I  could  cite  another 
case,  where  during  her  first  confinement,  a  young 
woman  was  given  chloroform  and  other  treatment  which 
weakened  her  system  to  such  an  extent  that  a  degraded 
spirit  took  hold  of  her  organism,  and  the  language  he 
made  that  previously  moral  girl  use,  was  deplorable. 
Under  these  conditions  she  was  committed  to  the  asy- 
lum, where  she  is  at  present  and  .at  last  reports  was,  at 
time's,  able  to  control  her  body,  and,  of  course,  at  those 
times  she  was  considered  'rational*  by  the  authorities. 

*  *  I^et  all  Spiritualists  be  sure  to  caution  persons 
who  are  beginning  their  investigation  by  sitting  alone 
to  be  very  careful — and  to  make  a  regular  pradice  of 
reporting,  so  that  those  of  experience  may  know  what 
is  taking  place  and  advise  accordingly.     And  further. 


55 

let  us  make  a  practice  of  looking  into  all  cases  of  so- 
sailed  *  insanity '  before  they  are  sent  to  the  asylums; 
perchance  it  may  be  a  case  like  those  I  have  cited.'* 

A  "strong  delusion,*'  an  * 'energy  of  Satan'*  truly 
Spiritism  is,  when  people  with  all  these  evidences  be- 
fore them  still  return  to  it  time  and  again,  even  after 
being  injured.. — as  do  the  once  singed  summer  moths 
to  the  deadly  glare  that  fascinates  them.  There  is  a 
dense  darkness  in  the  world  to-day  upon  divine  truth  j 
and  thinking  people,  when  awakened  from  the  stupor 
which  has  so  long  benumbed  their  reasoning  faculties, 
as  respedls  religion,  cry  out  for  '*  Light,  more  Light;'* 
and  if  they  do  not  get  the  true  Light  of  the  knowledge 
of  God  (which  shines  only  for  the  honest  and  conse- 
crated believer  in  the  ransom),  they  are  ready  for  the 
false  lights  with  which  *'the  god  of  this  world,'*  Satan, 
seeks  to  ensnare  all— Higher  Criticism  otherwise  called 
Agnosticism,  or  Spiritism,  or  Christian  Science,  or 
Thi^osophy.  These,  if  it  were  possible,  would  deceive 
the  very  eledt;  and  are  well  represented  as  being  Satan's 
ministers  transformed  as  angels  of  light. 

Another  popular  Spiritualist  paper  is  The  Philosophy 
ical  Journal,  It  continually  urges  that  its  gospel  of 
Spiritism  be  tested,  and  declares  it  to  be  the  one  thing 
the  world  needs;  and  yet  it  also  admits  the  frauds  prac- 
ticed by  the  * 'spirits"  upon  mediums.  It  will  admit 
that  when  detected  as  "evil  spirits,*'  **  lying  spirits," 
by  misrepresentation,  fraud,  wicked  suggestions  or 
works,  arousing  the  vidlim  to  resistance  or  relief  through 
prayer,  evidently  the  same  spirits  return  as  moralists^ 
with  reproofs,  professions  of  sympathy  and  promises 
of  aid  in  resisting  the  evil  spirits,  etc. ,  only  to  improve 
the  first  opportunity  of  weakness  or  temptation  to  break 


56       *  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

down  all  resistance  of  the  will  and  obtain  complete  pos« 
session — obsession.  We  clip  a  statement  in  support  of 
this  from  its  issue  of  April  22,  '97,  signed  by  A.  N. 
Waterman,  one  of  the  leading  Spiritualist  lights.  Under 
the  caption,  **  Real  Authorship  of  Spirit  Communica- 
tions," he  says: — 

*  *  It  appears  to  me  impossible  that  in  this  life  we 
can  know  from  whom  a  spiritual  communication  from 
the  other  world  is  made.  We  can  have  evidence,  some- 
thing like  that  which  we  possess  in  reference  to  the 
authorship  of  a  telegram,  but  no  more.'* 

Would  people  of  "  sound  mind'*  stake  their  all^ 
risk  an  insanity  which  according  to  their  own  accounts 
is  manifold  worse  in  torture  than  ordinary  dementia, 
and  spend  their  lives  trying  to  get  other  people  to  risk 
their  alls  similarly,  when  for  it  all  they  have  no  more 
evidence  than  goes  with  a  telegram  ?  Would  they  do  so 
when  the  bitter  experiences  of  forty  years  testing  had 
told  them  that  the  genuine  are  at  most  only  as  *  *  one 
grain  to  a  bushel,''^  as  one  of  them  has  just  told  us? 

No,  no  ;  only  desperately  deluded  people  would 
pursue  such  a  course.  Evidently  as  the  holy  spirit  in 
men  produces  **  the  spirit  of  a  sound  mind  '*  (2  Tim. 
1:7;  Prov.  2: 6,7),  so,  on  the  other  hand,  the  spirit  of 
devils  produces  the  spirit  of  an  unsound  mind. 

Another  letter  received  recently  from  Florida, 
from  a  brother  in  Christ,  a  Wi^TCH  TowKR  reader,  well 
educated  in  several  languages,  informs  us  concerning 
some  peculiar  experiences  recently  had  with  these  *' se- 
ducing spirits. ' '  He  became  aware  of  the  presence  of 
invisible  spirit  beings,  and  they  seemed  to  manifest  a 
curious  interest  in  his  work :  he  was  translating 
Studies  in  the  Scriptures  into  a  foreign  language. 


Spiritism — Demonism,  5^ 

Well  informed  along  the  Scriptural  lines  presented 
foregoing,  as  to  who  these  ''seducing  spirits "  are,  he 
nevertheless  forgot,  or  failed  to  heed  the  divine  in- 
struction,— that  mankind  should  hold  no  communication 
whatever  with  these  *'  lying  spirits  "  and  *'have  no  fel- 
lowship with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness. ' '  The 
negle^  of  this  instrudlion  caused  him  serious  trouble  ; 
and  but  for  the  interposition  of  divine  mercy,  in  re- 
sponse to  his  and  our  prayers,  it  mfght  have  made 
shipwreck  of  him— soul  and  body. 

He  was  allured  to  the  ^i7?z/^r^;^<r<?  by  a  mixture  of 
curiosity  with  a  benevolent  desire  to  do  them  good  by 
preaching  to  them  the  glorious  gospel  of  divine  love  and 
mercy  operating  througli  Christ  toward  all  mankind ; 
and  the  eventual  hope  of  a  jucgment  (probationary 
trial)  for  the  fallen  angels,  declared  in  the  Scriptures. 
(i  Cor.  6:3.)  At  first  they  gave  close  attention  and 
appeared  to  take  a  deep  and  reverent  interest  in  the 
message;  but  before  long  they  became  very  "familiar" 
spirits,  intruding  themselves  and  their  questions  and 
remarks  at  all  times  and  places,  disputing  with  him 
and  with  each  other  in  a  manner  and  upon  topics  far 
from  edifying,  so  that  he  remonstrated:  finally  he  de- 
manded that  they  depart,  but  haviug  gained  his  * 'inner 
ear"  (having  made  of  him  what  Spiritists  would  term 
a  **clairauclientmedmm' ' )  they  were  not  disposed  to  go, 
and  only  through  earnest  prayer  was  he  finally  deliv- 
ered. He  should  have  been  on  his  guard  against  their 
sedudlive  influences;  he  should  have  remembered  that 
whatever  message  of  grace  the  I^ord  may  jyet  have  for 
these  fallen  angels  he  has  not  yet  sent  it  to  them^  and 
taat  none  are  authorized  to  speak  for  thel^ord  without 
4\i^morJt|^.     '^"'  Hew  ahail  tiiey  r^rea^^  except  the?  be 


58  U^a£  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

sentf**  The  message  of  salvation  thus  far  is  to  man* 
kind  only ;  and  even  here  it  is  limited,  for  altho  all 
are  to  be  counseled  to  repent  of  sin  and  to  reform,  yet 
the  gospel  of  salvation  is  restricted  to  repentant  **  be- 
lievers "  only, — "  the  meek  of  the  earth. 

WARNINGS  FROM  A  SPIRITIST  AND  SWEDENBORGIAN. 


Joseph  Hartman  has  published  a  book  of  378  pages 
In  which  he  recounts  his  experiences  as  a  Spirit- medi- 
um (led  into  it  by  Swedenborg's  teachings),  his  de- 
basement almost  to  the  loss  of  reason  by  spirit  obses- 
sion, and  his  final  recovery  from  its  ensnarement  of 
his  will;  but  strange  to  say,  he  is  still  a  firm  believer 
in  Swedenborgianism  and  Spiritism,  altho,  like  others, 
he  cautions  every  one  to  be  on  guard  against  their 
wicked  devices.  Poor  deluded  man,  he  still  believes 
that  these  are  good  spirits. 

Mr.  H.  had  come  in  contadl  with  the  *  'Planchette, '  * 
a  wooden  device  which  holds  a  pencil  and  moves  readily 
under  the  hands  of  certain  mediums  or  *' sensitives," 
even  children,  writing  answers  to  questions  propounded 
to  it ;  and  he  had  attended  several  tipping  and  rapping 
seances,  and  was  convinced  that  they  were  not  frauds, 
but  the  operations  of  invisible,  intelligent  spirits.  He 
became  actively  interested  while  endeavoring  to  con- 
vince doubting  friends  cf  the  genuineness  of  the  manifes- 
tations. Next  he  tried  it  in  his  own  family  and  devel- 
oped the  fact  that  his  little  son  was  a  drawing  and 
writing  medium.  Next  he  was  curious  to  investigate 
the  phenomena  of  spirit  materialization.  About  this 
time  his  daughter  *'  Dolly  "  died,  and  he  was  deeply 
!3terested  in  the  apparitions  or  materializations  which 


spiritism— DemonuMo  59 

professed  to  be  "Dolly."  He,  however,  was  incredu- 
lous, and,  in  his  own  words,  "gave  it  up  under  a  cloud, 
and  a  suspicion  of  fraud. ' '  But  after  five  years  of  ex- 
perience he  says, — "Whatever  doubts  I  may  have  en- 
tertained respecting  the  phenomena,  I  am  clearly  of 
the  opinion  that  honest  7naterializatio7is  are  now  of  fre- 
quent occurrence.  Who  the  forms  are,  or  whence  de- 
rived, is  a  mooted  question.**  We  have  just  seen 
that  if  the  manifestations  are  "  honest  "  so  far  as  the 
mediumship  is  concerned,  they  are  frauds  so  far  as 
the  persons  represented  are  concerned — simulations  of 
the  dead,  by  the  fallen  angels. 

Later  the  table- tipping  and  rapping  and  drawing 
and  writing  tests  were  revived  at  Mr.  H.'s  home,  two 
of  his  children  becoming  adept  mediums,  and  finally, 
he  himself  became  a  writing  medium,  to  his  own  sur- 
prise and  without  expectation  or  solicitation.  Now  he 
could  and  did  hold  frequent  converse  supposedly  with 
his  daughter  "Dolly,'*  but  really  with  demons  who  per- 
sonated her,  and  others,  he  was  caused  to  smell  pleas- 
ant odors,  etc.  As  a  later  development  he  became  a  speak- 
ing medium,  and  "under  control"  would  speak  and  act 
without  his  own  intention  or  volition;  but  with  full 
power  to  refuse  to  be  a  medium  to  such  "spirits"  as  he 
chose  to  refuse,  because  of  their  former  rudeness  or  ob- 
scenity. Next  he  was  granted  the  *  'inner  ear, "  "  Clair- 
audience,"  or  ability  to  hear  sounds  not  audible  to 
others,  and  thus  to  hold  converse  with  the  "  spirits  " 
without  any  outward  agency,  such  as  writing,  rap- 
ping, etc. 

Of  his  "spirit  friends"  he  says, — "They  described 
to  me  that  their  controlling  circle  consisted  of  'twelve 
spiritual  gifts  or  virtues'  which  composed  a  'band'   of 


6o  What  Say  the  Scriptures? 

very  great  strength;  and  under  their  guidance,  they 
declared,  I  would  become  one  of  the  greatest  mediums 
ever  known.  I  revolted — had  not  the  least  ambition  for 
fame  of  that  sort. — They  were  the  more  determined." 

Thus  gradually  was  Mr.  Hartman  brought,  against 
his  wish,  more  and  more  under  the  "control"  of  the 
wicked  spirits  which  finally  obsessed  him.  The  next 
experience  was  with  a  peculiar  clairaudient  ''Voice" 
which  represented  itself  to  be  the  Lord  and  took  full 
control  of  him,  dire<5ling  his  every  adl.  It  pidlured  all 
his  errors  and  weaknesses  in  darkest  shades;  and  en- 
deavored to  destroy  all  hope.  He  was  told  to  pray, 
and  when  he  attempted  to  pray  he  was  given  such  con- 
flidling  suggestions  as  to  words  as  made  it  impossible. 
He  was  fast  in  the  snare  of  the  "wicked  spirits;" 
"possessed,"  and  controlled  by  "spirit-mesmerism," 
as  he  calls  it. 

But  finally  he  escaped  their  bondage  ;  —  a  once 
strong  will  reasserted  itself,  and  he  wrote  the  account 
to  hinder  others  from  being  similarly  entrapped.  But 
he  does  not  understand  the  matter,  notwithstanding  his 
remarkable  experiences.  His  experiences  had  proved 
that  all  the  "spirits"  which  he  had  come  in  contadl 
with  were  "wicked,"  lying,  profane,  and  a  majority 
of  them  vulgarly  and  disgustingly  obscene:  Yet,  be- 
lieving these  to  be  the  spirits  of  dead  men  and  women, 
he  surmised  that  he  had  met  a  band  of  evil  ones  only, 
and  that  there  were  other  bands  of  good,  truthful  and 
pure  spirits  of  good  people.  If  he  had  but  known  the 
Lord's  testimony  on  this  subjedl,  it  would  have  put  the 
entire  matter  in  another  light. 

After  gaining  ze/z7/-control  of  himself  he  was  still 
attended  by  these  evil  spirits  whose  charadter  he  now 


spiritism — Demonism,  6i 

fully  Knew;  and  they  tried  repeatedly  to  bring  his  will 
power  again  under  "control,"  but  had  no  power  that 
he  would  not  grant.  He  did,  however,  grant  them 
liberty  to  use  his  hand  in  writing  communications,  and 
in  reply  to  his  questions  respecfling  how  and  why  they 
had  abused  his  confidence,  lied  to  him,  were  obscene 
and  sought  to  bind  and  injure  him,  they  answered  that 
they  were  constitutionally  and  thoroughly  bad  and  that 
they  were  **devils;" — again  contradic5ling  this  and  de- 
claring that  they  were  spirits  of  dead  human  beings. 
But  to  confirm  him  in  Swedenborgianism  they  told  him 
that  there  were  no  Swedenborgians  among  them.  And 
Hartman  evidently  believed  these  self-confessed  **lying 
spirits,"  for  he  concludes  his  book  by  quoting  proofs 
that  Swedenborg  had  passed  through  experiences  of  <7^- 
session  somewhat  like  his  own.  He  quotes  from  Swe- 
denborg's  Diary  2957-2996  as  follows: — 

**Very  often  when  any  one  spoke  with  me,  spirits 
Spoke  through  me.  .  .  .  This  occurred  many  times;  for 
instance  twice  to-day.  I  cannot  enumerate  the  times, 
they  are  so  many.  .  .  .  Moreover,  they  have  laughed 
throVLghme,  and  done  many  things.  .  .  .  These  are  those 
who  introduce  these  things  into  my  thoughts,  and 
while  I  am  unconscious  of  it,  lead  my  hand  to  write 
thus:' 

Hartman  says  of  Swedenborg  further: — 
**It  is  a  matter  of  history  that  Swedenborg' s  ma- 
ligners,  not  understanding  interior  temptations  or  spirit 
control^  published  that  he  was  crazy,  and  that  he  did 
several  foolish  and  insane  things  while  living  in  London. 
.  .  .  He  was  under  control  of  spirits  who  adted  through 
his  body,  speaking  through  him  and  moving  his  body 
as  if  it  were  their  own.  .  .  .  During  a  part  of  this 
transitional  period  he  was  unquestionably  controlled  by 
evil  spirits.  He  says  he  had  'tremors  and  was  shaken 
from  head  to  foot,  and  thrown  out  of  bed  on  his  face' 


62  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

.  .  .  *I  was  in  the  temptation,'  he  says,  thoughts  in- 
vaded me  that  I  could  not  control,  .  .  .  and  full  liber- 
ty was  given  them.  .  .  .  While  I  had  the  most  dam- 
nable thoughts,  the  worst  that  could  possibly  be,  Jesus 
Christ  was  presented  visibly  before  my  internal  sight. ' ' ' 

Mr.  Hartman  comments: — *'This  we  believe  was 
an  evil  spirit  pretending  to  be  Christ,  as  in  our  own 
case  the  spirit  pretended  to  be  God." 

To  us  it  seems  evident  that  Swedenborg  was  a 
Spirit- medium  and  was  an  advance  agent  for  promul- 
gating and  establishing  the  "dodlrines  of  devils"  re- 
spedling  * 'seven  heavens  and  seven  hells,"  etc.,  etc., 
ad  nauseam.  Yet  Mr.  Hartman  closes  his  book  with 
a  eulogy  of  Swedenborg;  who,  altho  admittedly  pos- 
sessed of  devils  at  times,  he  thinks  was  sometimes  pos- 
sessed and  controlled  by  good  spirits:  while  Hartman' s 
own  experience  corroborated  the  Scriptures,  that  they 
are  a//* 'wicked,"  "seducing,"  "lying"  spirits. 

MANY  POSSESSED  OF  DEVILS  TO-DAY. 


In  a  pamphlet  entitled — "The  Nature  of  Insanity  ; 
its  Cause  and  Cure", — by  J.  D.  Rhymus,  the  author 
shows  that  in  many  cases  insanity  is  merely  demoniacal 
possession  or  '  'obsession. ' '     He  says, — 

''\nmy  0W71  case  I  know  that  the  brain  was  not 
diseased  at  all;  my  whole  nature  seemed  to  be  intensi- 
fied by  conflidling  emotions  raging  within  my  breast. 
I  was  completely  enveloped  and  pervaded  by  thought, 
or  in  other  words  thought  came  as  something  impinged 
upon  m.e,  seeking  expression  through  me,  without  being 
coined  or  generated  by  the  adlion  of  my  own  brain, 
altho  fully  conscious  at  the  time,  as  I  am  now,  ^  that  I 
possessed  a  strength  within  me  not  my  own  will  and 
brain  power  so-called;— yet  it  was  so  blended  with,  and 
manifested  through  my  own  powers  of  acftion,  that  I  felt 


spiritism — Demonism,  63 

great  exhaustion  of  nerve  force  and  mental  prostration 
when  the  conditions  subsided.'* 

After  detailing  his  own  case  and  his  release  from 
the  thraldom  of  evil  spirits,  whom  he  supposed  to  be 
the  spirits  of  wicked  dead  men  (apparently  he  also  was 
a  follower  of  Swedenborg),  he  quotes  a  letter  from  a 
Philadelphia  physician,  dated  Nov,  12,  1884,  as  fol- 
lows:^ 

**  The  young  lady  to  whom  you  refer  in  your  let- 
ter is  a  Miss  S ,  who  was  once  my  patient  and  quite 

intimate  in  my  family.  Her  father  was  a  sea  captain, 
and  was  lost  at  sea,  no  one  knowing  when  or  where. 
Her  anxiety  to  learn  something  of  his  fate,  led  her  to 
apply  to  a  spirit  medium.  She  was  found  to  be  very 
'susceptible*  and  a  remarkable  medium.  She  did  noth- 
ing to  encourage  the  approach  of  spirits;  but  they  came 
all  the  same.  They  almost  tormented  the  life  out  of 
her  for  a  long  time— how  long  I  do  not  remember. 
They  often  made  her  get  out  of  bed  at  night  and  per- 
form all  sorts  of  grotesque  antics.  She  finally  drove 
them  off  by  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer  on  their  every 

approach.     Your  sincere  friend,  .'* 

The  same  writer  says: — 

"Judge  Edmonds  of  New  York  [a  noted  Spiritist 
and  both  a  Clairvoyant  and  Clairaudient  medium— now 
deceased],  has  recently  expressed  the  opinion  that 
many  so-called  lunatics  in  asylums  are  only  under  the 
influence  of  spirits. ' '  The  Judge  himself  said,— 'Some 
fifteen  cases  of  insanity,  or  rather  obsession,  I  have 
been  instrumental  in  curing.  This  I  said  to  the  Acad- 
emy of  Science,  in  New  York.* 

*  'The  Judge  has  had  Catholic  priests,  after  a  thorough 
trial  of  their  'holy  water  and  prayers,'  send  [to  him] 
their  mediumistic  members  when  wickedly  disordered, 
to  be  demagnetized  and  released  from  the  grasp  of  ob- 
sessional spirits/* 


^4  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

SPIRITISM   REVIVING, 


Few  are  aware  to  what  extent  Spiritism  is  now 
adlive;  how  it  is  gradually  reviving.  Here  is  an  ac- 
count of  Dr.  Peebles'  visit  to  Melbourne,  Australia, 
this  year,  1897.  He  writes  to  The  Philadelphia  Jour- 
nal as  follows: — 

"  Altho  I  had  come  for  a  rest,  I  was  immediately 
pressed  into  adlive  service,  and  have  been  lecfluring 
every  Sunday  evening  either  in  the  Masonic  hall  (which 
seats  1300)  or  the  I^yceum  (700),  both  of  them  being 
€lled  at  times  to  overflowing.  I  have  also  spoken  in 
the  Unitarian  and  Swedenborgian  churches,  and  the 
Australian  (Presbyterian)  church,  on  vegetarianism 
and  other  reform  subjecfts, 

' '  Several  mediums  speak  about  coming  to  Aus- 
tralia. Before  leaving,  let  me  tell  you  that  the  Mel- 
bourne press  says  there  are  already  500  mediums  in  the 
city  and  suburbs,  while  others  say  200,  but  I  see  none 
who  compare  with  Mrs.  Freitag,  and  others.  I  cannot, 
conscientiously,  encourage  mediums  to  come  to  Aus- 
tralia, unless  they  are  absolutely  y?r.y/-<:/(a55  test  mediums. 
Tnat's  what  the  people  clamor  for — tests,  tests,  tests. 
Old,  bald-headed  Spiritualists,  who  had  tests  years 
ago,  want  them  renewed,  and  so  seek  for  tests  instead 
of  going  on  to  a  higher  plane  of  harmony,  beauty  and 
spiritual  truth,  becoming  their  own  mediums." 

Yes ;  the  tests,  rapping,  writing,  table  tipping, 
and  even  materialization  tests  are  only  the  beginnings 
of  Spiritism,  and  not  the  desired  ends  sought  by  the 
spirits.  The  end  sought  \s> possession  ' '  obsession;"  and 
those  who  by  strong  self-control  constantly  resist  ab- 
solute spirit-control  are  used  as  **  test  mediums, "  to 
catch  others,  and  to  exhort  others,  as  above,  to  go  '^on 
to  a  higher  plane  of  ha?mo?iy''  with  lying,  seducing, 
enslaving  and  demonizing  spirits. 


spiritism — DemonisMo    *  65 

An  English  journal  called  Black  and  While  gives 
a  detailed  and  illustrated  account  of  recent  apparitions 
at  the  town  of  Tilly-sur-SeuUes,  Normandy,  France. 
It  says  that  the  apparitions  are  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
and  have  continued  for  several  months,  and  are  thor- 
oughly vouched  for.     It  adds  : — 

"The  appearances,  which  seldom  or  never  resemble 
each  other^even  to  the  same  voya^ils,  always  either  as- 
cend from  the  earth,  as  in  the  case  of  those  of  the  Witch 
of  Kndor,  or  appear  gradually  bit  by  bit,  first  a  leg, 
then  an  arm,  and  so  on,  at  a  slight  elevation.  All  this 
is  very  queer  reading. 

'  *  The  trampled  field  of  oats,  the  elm  tree  stripped 
of  its  branches  by  relic-hunters,  the  torn  hedge  pro- 
tected by  barbed  wire  and  decorated  with  statues  pic- 
tures, rosaries,  pots  of  flowers  and  votive  tapers,  re- 
main to  testify  to  a  belief  in  the  supernatural  not  less 
strong  than  it  was  in  mediaeval  times. '  * 

Black  and  While^  after  quoting  from  the  Croix  du 
Calvados  (the  official  organ  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Bishop  of  the  diocese)  ^  that,  **  Altho  it  cannot  doubt 
the/a^  of  the  appearances,  it  is  inclined  more  and  more 
to  attribute  them  to  diabolic  i7iterventio7t^^^  adds: — 

*'If  anything,  this  is  calculated  to  lend  them 
still  greater  interest  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  which, 
at  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century,  shows  itself 
especially  ready  to  dabble  in  Satanism,  crystal-gaz- 
ing, astrology,  theosophy,  spiritualism  and  magic, 
both  black  and  white.  The  chief  points  in  favor  of  this 
clerical  decision  seem  to  be  that  one  Vintras,  who  lived 
in  an  old  mill,  still  standing  on  the  banks  of  the  Seniles, 
below  the  older  village  of  Tilly,  prophesied  these  ap- 
paritions about  the  year  '30.  Vintras  was  condemned 
as  a  sorcerer  and  incarcerated  at  Caen  by  request  of 
Pope  Gregory  xvi.  He  claimed  to  have  been  'inspired' 
by  the  Archangel  Michael.  Curiously  enough,  another 
'prophet,*  claiming  to  be  inspired  by  another  Arch- 
I 


66  W/iaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

angel,  Gabriel  to  wit, — namely  Mile.  Cuedon,  who  has 
made  a  stir  in  Paris  lately,  and  whom  a  certain  Abbe 
declares  to  be  ^ possessed^  rather  than  ^  inspired,^  pro- 
phesied these  same  apparitions  at  Tilly  a  fortnight  be- 
fore they  began." 

Satan's  motto  seems  to  be,  Anything  to  deceive 
and  bewilder  humanity  and  to  hinder  the  truth  now 
due  to  them  from  reaching  them.  From  an  English 
Spiritist  journal  Lights  we  quote  a  recent  statement 
of  a  sea7icey  as  follows:— 

* '  At  a  sitting  which  was  being  held  one  evening 
at  the  invitation  of  a  mother  who  had  just  lost  a  dearly 
loved  son,  amongst  other  phenomena  a  remarkable 
light  was  seen.  It  was  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful  rad- 
iant globe,  the  center  of  which  was  a  bright  blue  of 
great  brilliancy.  It  was  apparently  an  immeasurable 
distance  away,  the  wall  of  the  room  offering  no  ob- 
strudlion  to  those  who  watched  it,  and  it  remained  for 
about  half  an  hour,  when  it  gradually  faded  from  their 
sight. 

*  *  All  present  were  filled  with  a  sense  of  deep  rev- 
erence a7id  ve7ieratio7i.  The  control  \i.  e. ,  the  spirit 
controlling  the  medium]  explained  that  this  was  indeed 
the  Ifight  of  Christ,  who,  in  verification  of  the  belief 
which  is  now  very  generally  held  by  Christians  of  every 
denomination,  is  gradually  approaching  this  earth  ; 
and  in  fulfilment  of  His  words,  spoken  nearly  two 
thousand  years  ago,  is  coming  to  establish  his  King- 
dom, the  reign  of  universal  love  and  Lrotherhood, 
amongst  us. 

''The  control  further  said:  'Write  thus  to  the  ed- 
itor of  Light,  Tell  him  that  light  is  coming  to  all  men. 
It  grows  brighter  day  by  day.  This  light  is  the  Light 
that  should  lighten  all  men  that  come  into  the  world. 
Love  is  embodied  in  it.  Truth  is  bringing  it.  Wis- 
dom teaches  it.  Faith  reveals  it.  Hope  nourishes  it. 
Justice  craves  for  it.  Glory  attends  it.  Peace  claims 
it.     Power  waits  for  it.     This  remarkable  light  is  at- 


Spiritism — Demomsm.    .  6^ 

tended  by  hosts  of  angels  ;  by  dwellers  in  the  spheres 
of  the  Blest;  by  mighty  conquerors;  by  those  whose 
sins,  being  scarlet,  now  shine  radiant  in  this  Ivight. 
Perfe<5led  good,  perfe<5led  man,  perfected  light. 

*'  Beautiful  angels  surrounded  the  medium.  The 
Light  appeared  behind  her;  but  she  was  pleased  to  know 
that  the  greatest  glory  shone  when  she  spoke  of  Christ's 
power,  Altho  not  herself  viewing  the  greatest  glory 
of  the  Light  she  saw  it,  far,  far  away,  having  a  star- 
like radiance." 

Just  as  at  his  first  advent  the  evil  spirits  acknowl- 
edged Jesus,  saying,  **We  know  thee,  who  thou  art.** 
**What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of 
God?"  and  as  they  testified  of  the  apostles, — **  These 
be  the  servants  of  the  most  high  God  which  show  unto 
us  the  way  of  eternal  life;  so  to-day ^  as  we  have  seen^ 
some  of  them  will  testify  occasionally  to  the  truth, 
commend  Scripture  Studies,  etc.;  but  it  is  safe  to 
assume  that  it  is  all  for  a  purpose  ;  as  a  **  bait"  foi 
those  who  are  interested  or  seeking  light  along  these 
lines,  to  eventually  lead  them  off  into  some  gross  dark- 
ness. Let  us  constantly  remember  that  these  decep- 
tions will  become  so  bold,  and  be  apparently  so  backed 
by  advanced  truth  that  they  will,  *'if  it  were  possible, 
deceive  the  very  eledt." — Matt.  24:24-26. 

Under  such  circumstances  there  is  but  one  safe 
course.  It  is  not  to  stand  still  with  closed  eyes,  panic 
stricken  :  that  will  be  impossible,  very  soon.  It  is  to 
fully  accept  of  Christ  Jesus  the  redeeiiier^  the  ransomer 
of  the  race  as  your  Savior  and  your  Teacher,  and  to 
be  controlled  only  by  his  spirit  of  truth  expressed  to 
man  through  his  Word — the  Bible,  So  doing  you  will  be 
kept  by  the  power  of  God  from  all  the  snares  of  the 
wicked  one;  for  the  gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto 


68  What  Say  the  Scriptures  % 

salvation  to  every  one  that  [obediently]  believeth. ' ' 
To  what  great  dangers  the  people  of  Christendom 
are  exposed  we  may  judge  when  we  remember  that 
nearly  all  are  laboring  under  the  delusion  of  Satan, 
first  enunciated  to  Mother  Eve  in  Eden, — to  her  de- 
ception and  fall.  He  then  said,  **  Ye  shall  not  surely 
die,''  He  has  kept  up  his  side  of  the  controversy 
since  then,  and  the  majority  of  God*s  people  believe 
Satan* s  statement  and  disbelieve  the  I^ord's  word ; — 
holding  that  no  one  really  dies,  but  that  when  death 
apparently  takes  place  the  person  is  thereby  made  *^more 
alive  than  ever''  Believing  that  none  are  really  dead^ 
we  cannot  wonder  that  Christendom  totally  rejec5ls  the 
Bible  doc5lrine  that  the  only  hope  for  a  future  life  rests 
in  God's  promise  of  a  **  resurreflion  of  the  d:bad,"  and 
makes  nonsense  of  it  by  claiming  that  it  is  merely  a 
resurrediion  of  the  body  that  died — which  the  Apostle 
declares  will  never  be  resurrected — ^but  a  new  body  be 
substituted  when  the  soul^  the  being  is  resurre<$led,— 
I  Cor.  15  : 1 2-1 8  and  36-38. 

In  evidence  of  the  dangers  along  this  line  we  note 
the  fadl  that  in  a  very  recent  issue  of  "  The  Ram's 
Horny' '  a  radical  orthodox  journal  of  Chicago  published 
on  its  outside  cover  a  colored  engraving  representing 
a  Christian  mother  with  clasped  hands,  praying  beside 
a  little  grave  decorated  with  flowers,  while  just  before 
her  is  shown  the  shadowy  outline  of  her  child  ap- 
proaching her.  The  editor  of  The  Ram's  Horn  and 
his  readers  are  like  all  other  nominal  Christians  who 
negle(5l  the  teachings  of  God's  Word  on  this  subjedl ; 
—just  ready  for  Satan's  delusions  to  ensnare  them. 

Note  also  the  following,  clipped  from  the  Jan.  2, 
^07.  issue  of  The  Philosophical  Journal  (Soiritualist), 


SptriHsm—Demonism.  69 

Under  tlie  caption  ^^Progressive  Thought ^  the  editor 
quotes  from  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage's  discourse  of 
Dec,  6,  '96,  as  follows : — 

**  Even  Talmage  has  progressed  from  the  old  faith, 
and  now  believes  in  the  return  of  the  spirit  to  this 
world  of  ours  after  death.  On  December  6  he  preached 
a  Sermon  at  Washington  on  the  *  Celestial  World/ 
showing  the  employment  of  *the  departed'  in  that  state 
of  existence.  In  answer  to  the  question:  *What  are 
the  departed  doing  now  ?'  he  said:  'That  question  is 
more  easily  answered  than  you  might  suptjose,'  and 
adds : — 

**  'Their  hand  has  forgotten  its  cunning,  but  the 
spirit  has  faculties  as  far  superior  to  four  fingers  and  a 
thumb  as  the  supernatural  is  superior  to  the  human. 
The  reason  that  God  took  away  their  eye  and  their 
hand  and  their  brain,  was  that  he  might  give  them 
something  more  limber,  more  wieldy,  more  skillful. 
more  multipliant.' 

•*  Dr.  Talmage  says  that  the  spirits,  freed  from 
the  material  body,  are  *  more  limber,  more  skillful,* 
and  *are  at  their  old  business  yet,'  but  with  vastly  im- 
proved faculties.     He  argues  it  thus : — 

"  •  Have  you  any  idea  that  that  affluence  of  faculty 
at  death,  collapsed  and  perished  ?  Why  so,  when  there 
is  more  for  them  to  look  at,  and  they  have  keener  ap- 
preciation of  the  beautiful,  and  they  stand  amid  the 
very  looms  where  the  sunsets  and  the  rainbows  and  the 
spring  mornings  are  woven. 

**  *  Are  you  so  obtuse  as  to  suppose  that  because 
the  painter  drops  his  easel  and  the  sculptor  his  chisel, 
and  the  engraver  his  knife,  that  therefore  that  taste, 
which  he  was  enlarging  or  intensifying  for  forty  or 
fifty  years,  is  entirely  obliterated  ? 

**  *  These  artists,  or  friends  of  an,  on  earth  worked 
!»  coarse  material  and  with  imperfedt  brain  and  with 


70  Whai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

frail  hand.    Now  they  have  carried  their  art  into  larger 
liberties  arid  into  v/ider  circumferences. 

**  *  They  are  at  their  old  business  yet,  but  with- 
out the  fatigues,  without  the  limitations,  without  the 
hindrances  of  the  terrestrial  studio.* 

**  In  answer  to  the  question  as  to  what  the  phy- 
sicians  are  doing,  since  they  passed  to  *the  beyond,' 
he  says  they  *are  busy  at  their  old  business,'  and  adds: 

**  *  No  sickness  in  heaven,  but  plenty  of  sickness 
on  earthy  plenty  of  wounds  in  the  different  parts  of 
God's  dominion  to  be  healed  and  to  be  medicated. 
Those  glorious  souls  are  conmig  down^  not  in  lazy  doc- 
tor's gig,  but  with  lightning  locomotion. 

'*  *  You  cannot  understand  why  that  patient  got 
well  after  all  the  skillful  dodtors  had  said  he  must  die. 
Perhaps  Abercrombie  touched  him.  I  should  not  wonder 
if  he  had  been  back  again  to  see  some  of  his  old  patients. 
Those  who  had  their  joy  in  healing  the  sickness  and 
the  woes  of  earth,  gone  up  to  heaven  are  come  forth 
again  for  benignant  medicament.* 

**Then  he  propounds  another  question,  as  to  what 
all  the  departed  are  doing  now — who  in  earth- life  were 
'busy,  and  found  their  chief  joy  in  doing  good.*  He 
replies :  They  are  'going  right  on  with  the  work.* 

*'John  Howard  visiting  dungeons;  the  dead  women 
of  Northern  and  Southern  battlefields  still  abroad  look- 
ing for  the  w^ounded;  George  Peabody  still  watching 
the  poor;Thomas  Clarkson  still  looking  after  the  en 
slaved — all  of  those  who  did  good  on  earth,  busier  since 
death  than  before.  The  tombstone  is  not  the  terminus, 
but  the  starting-post.' 

**He  then  concludes  with  this  very  emphatic 
language:— 

***Toshow  you  that  your  departed  friends  are 
more  alive  than  they  ever  were;  to  make  you  home- 
sick for  heaven;  to  give  you  an  enlarged  view  of  the 
glories  to  be  revealed,  I  have  preached  this  sermon-  * 


spiritism — Demonism,  7i 

•'Without  the  slightest  doubt  then,  Dr,  DeWitt 
Talmage  is  a  Spiritualist.  He  does  not  claim  that  cog- 
nomen, but  he  teaches  the  grand  tenets  of  our  philo- 
sophy and  admits  the  consequent  phenomena  of  the 
return  of  the  spirit  to  visit  mortals — spirit  physicians 
to  touch  those  given  up  to  die  by  mortal  physicians, 
and  to  heal  them — to  visit  those  in  dungeons  in  order 
to  relieve  their  distress — to  watch  the  poor— to  look 
after  the  enslaved — and  in  this  work  to  be  *  busier 
since  death  than  before  !' 

**  If  *  the  departed  are  more  alive  than  they  ever 
were  '—as  Dr.  Talmage  affirms  in  his  closing  remarks 
— then  it  is  evident  that  he  was  correcft  in  saying  that 
*  the  tombstone  is  not  the  terminus,  but  the  starting 
post" — the  *door' to  the  higher  life,  the  entrance  to 
the  state  of  endless  labor,  grand  possibilities,  and  eter- 
nal progression. 

'*If  Dr.  Talmage  thought  more  of  these  grand 
truths  than  of  his  clerical  standing,  he  would  frankly 
avow  himself  a  Spiritualist. 

*'  All  the  churches  are  rapidly  becoming  permeat- 
ed with  Spiritual  philosophy,  and  soon  must  either  add 
to  their  structural  confession  these  grand  and  inspiring 
verities,  or  sink  into  oblivion  in  the  twentieth  century, 
when  the  cycle  of  evolution  shall  be  completely  round- 
ed out." 

Who  can  deny  the  logic  of  the  Spiritualist  editor 
in  claiming  Dr.  Talmage  as  a  Spiritualist,  who  refrains 
from  fully  acknowledging  his  identity  ?  Who  can  doubt 
that  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  read  that  discourse 
in  the  many  journals  which  publish  Dr.  Talmage's 
discourses  regularly,  accepted  every  item  of  its  poison- 
ous, unscriptural  suggestion  af  gospel;  because  in  full 


7^  Whai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

accord  with  what  they  had  been  taught  from  othei 
pulpits,  and  especially  at  funeral  services  ?  Alas  !  the 
millions  of  Christendom  are  ready ^  ripe,  for  the  evil 
work  of  these  seducing  spirits. 

Note  the  following  hand- bill  announcement  of 
Spiritist  performances  and  tests,  given  at  Muskegon, 
Michigan,  recently;  it  is  in  display  type  and  illustrated 
etchings  showing  shadowy  forms,  etc.— and  was  sent 
to  us  through  the  I^ord's  providence  just  in  time  for  a 
notice  here.     It  reads  thus: — 

'  *  Opera  House,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Religio- 
Philosophical  Society  of  Boston,  Mass.,  Sunday  night, 
April  II,  1897. 

"Spirit  materializations,  marvelous  superhuman 
visions,  Spiritualistic  rappings,  slate  writing,  floating 
tables  and  chairs,  remarkable  tests  of  the  human  mind, 
a  human  being  isolated  from  surrounding  objedls  float- 
ing in  mid  air.  Behold  the  marvels  of  to-day!  Refledl 
on  the  one  great  question  of  the  hour:  Is  there  a  spirit 
land  ?  and  what  is  the  destiny  of  man  ?  Do  you  want 
to  be  convinced  that  there  is  a  hereafter  ?  Do  you  be- 
lieve in  immortality  ?  Do  you  believe  in  a  soul  world  ? 
or  do  you  believe  that  death  ends  all  ? 

**Dr.  L,oyd  Cooke,  preeminently  peer  of  spirit 
mediums,  assisted  by  a  number  of  mediums  of  note,  on 
the  open  stage,  will  produce  some  of  the  most  wonder- 
ful materializations  ever  witnessed  in  this  country. 

'  *  The  following  are  some  of  the  tests  that  usually 
take  place  in  the  presence  of  these  mediums  :  A  table 
rises  4  to  5  feet  and  floats  in  mid-air.  Spirit  hands  and 
faces  are  plainly  seen  and  recognized  by  their  friends. 
A  guitar  is  played  and  passed  around  the  room  by  the 
invisible  power.  Flowers  are  brought  and  passed  to 
the  audience  by  hands  plainly  seen.  Bells  are  rung, 
harps  are  played,  and  other  tests  of  a  startling  nature 
take  place  in  the  presence  of  these  wonderful  mediums, 
if  the  conditions  are  stridlly  complied  with. 


spiritism — Demonism,  73 

*  A  night  of  wonderful  manifestions  !  The  veil 
drawn  so  that  all  may  have  an  insight  into  the  spirit 
world  and  behold  many  things  that  are  strange  and 
startling. 

"  The  clergy,  the  press,  learned  synods  and  coun- 
cils, sage  philosophers  and  scientists,  in  fadl,  the  whole 
world  has  proclaimed  these  philosophical  idealisms  to 
be  an  astounding  fa<5l.  You  are  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  spirits  A  large  piano  is  played  upon  with- 
out a  living  soul  touching  it.  And  many  spirit  forms 
upon  the  stage — sometimes  eight  or  ten  at  a  time — are 
proof  positive  of  the  genuineness  of  these  mediums. 
They  have  been  three  years  developing  for  the  special 
purpose  of  demonstrating  the  fac5ls  of  spirit  power  in 
full  gas  light ! 

"The  invisible  powers  are  constantly  producing 
new  and  startling  manifestations  to  convert  the  skep- 
tical and  strengthen  the  believer.  Come  and  see  for 
yourself.  Take  no  one's  word.  Investigate  and  be- 
lieve your  own  eyes.  Be  guided  by  your  own  reason. 
Believe  nothing  you  hear !  Every  man  and  woman  has 
a  right  to  see  and  think. 

*  'Many  ask:  *Is  there  any  truth  in  Spiritualism  ? '  If 
you  should  attend  this  seance  with  these  new  mediums, 
you  would  never  doubt  again  that  the  spirits  do  re- visit 
the  earth,  and  can  be  seen  and  recognized  by  their 
friends.  Thy  will  stand  beside  you  and  shake  hands 
with  any  one  who  will  ask  them.  Remember,  this 
seance  is  not  like  others  you  have  attended.  The  forms 
seen  here  are  not  afraid  of  you,  but  will  come  so  close 
to  you  that  you  cannot  doubt  their  identity,  and  will 
satisfy  you  that  they  are  not  flesh  of  this  earth.  No 
one  who  has  ever  attended  these  seances  can  doubt 
the  genuineness  of  these  mediums.  Remember,  these 
are  newly  developed  mediums,  just  arrived  at  this 
place,  and  are  recognized  by  all  that  have  seen  them 
to  have  the  most  powerful  circle  that  has  ever  been 
brought  to  this  country.  Not  in  darkness,  but  in  open 
light    You  fee!  their  touch    You  see  their  disembodied 


74  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

forms.  In  plain,  open  light !  Every  possible  means 
will  be  used  to  enlighten  the  auditors  as  to  whether 
these  so-called  wonders  are  enadted  through  the  aid  of 
spirits  or  are  the  result  of  natural  agencies. 

**  Committees  will  be  seledled  by  the  audience  to 
assist,  and  to  report  their  views  as  to  the  why  and 
wherefore  of  the  many  very  strange  things  that  will  be 
shown  during  the  evening.  This  is  done  so  that  every 
person  attending  may  learn  the  truth  regarding  the 
tests,  whether  they  are  genuine  or  caused  by  expert 
trickery.  Doors  open  at  7. 15.  Commences  at  8.  A 
small  admission  will  be  charged. 

SPIRITS  NOW  ORGANIZE  "CHURCHES." 


Finding  that  Churchianity  is  popular,  and  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  formalism  demanded  by  the  people  they 
seek  to  ensnare,  Spiritists  are  organizing  *'  churches'* 
for  the  **  worship  "  and  **  praise  "  of  the  **  All  Good,'* 
— the  name  they  use  instead  of  God.  But  since  ad- 
vanced Spiritists  do  not  believe  in  a  perso?ial  God  this 
name  merely  represents  to  them — all  good  spirits,  among 
whom  they  reckon  Thomas  Paine,  Shakespeare,  Judas 
and  Nero,  as  well  as  Christ,  Confucious  and  Buddha. 
In  these  * 'churches"— ''Spiritualist,"  "Theosophical" 
and  "Christian  Scientist,"  all  of  the  same  cult,  and  all 
guided  (unknown  to  many  of  their  votaries)  by  the 
same  master  spirit — Satan — the  preachers  and  evangel- 
ists are  generally  women  :  in  marked  contrast  (what- 
ever the  explanation)  with  the  course  pursued  by  the 
true  Head  of  the  one  and  only  true  Church,  our  lyord 
Jesus, — who  appointed  twelve  apostles  and  seventy 
evangelists,  all  of  them  men. 

The  newspapers  gave  an  account  of  a  Spiritist 
baptism  service,  at  the  "First  Church  of  Spiritualists," 


spiritism — Demomsm.  T5 

Pittsburg,  on  Sunday,  Dec.  13,  '96,  by  Mrs.  Ida  Whit- 
lock,  of  Boston,  as  follows: — 

*  *  When  the  babies'  parents  and  godmothers  had 
been  assembled,  deacons  of  the  church  brought  out  a 
long  flower- decked  rope,  which  they  tied  about  the 
participants  in  the  ceremony.  Mrs.  Whitlock  gave 
each  baby  a  small  bunch  of  carnations,  handing  them 
from  a  silver  bowl.  Having  completed  this  ceremony, 
Mrs.  Whitlock  took  another  silver  bowl,  and,  advanc- 
ing to  each  baby,  she  dipped  into  the  bowl  a  rose  and 
sprinkled  the  faces  of  those  to  be  baptized,  saying  as  she 
did  so,  *I,  \A2^^h\\\QQk.y  by  a  power  commissioned  tome  ^ 
do  baptize  thee,  Anna  Marie  Klotz,  in  the  name  of  the 
All  Good.*  Alderman  Klotz,  of  Allegheny,  is  the 
father  of  this  child. " 

The  power  commissioned  to  Mrs.  Whitlock  was 
certainly  not  from  the  Father,  nor  from  the  Son,  nor 
by  the  holy  spirit ;  and  we  feel  confident  it  was  from 
the  one  who  backs  all  the  tests  and  tricks  and  lies  and 
obsessions: — "  Your  Adversary  iho.  Devil/* — i  Pet.  5:8, 

"IN  THE  SECRET  CHAMBER." 


Brother  Thori  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  sends  us  the 
card  of  a  Dr.  Snyder  of  that  city,  who  styles  himself 
a  Christian  Spiritualist  and  claims  that  he  and  others 
there  hold  regular  seances  in  which  the  I^ord  as  a  spirit 
being  shows  himself  to  their  mortal  eyes.  He  says 
that  about  forty  persons  there  have  seen  these  mani- 
festations. Three  of  them  received  "the  communion'* 
diredl  from  the  lyord's  hand.  The  card  received  bears 
sixteen  texts  from  the  Bible,  among  which  are  the 
following: — 

**  God  is  a  spirit.** 

*'  I  am  the  light  of  the  world.** 

**He  thai  keepeth  my  commandments,  ac  W  ^^ 


76  IVhaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

that  lovath  me;  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved 
of  my  Father;  and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest 
myself  to  him, '  *  — ^John  14:21. 

In  large  type  at  the  head  of  the  card  are  these 
words : — 

'*HAVK   YOU  SKKN  the;   LORD?      IF  NOT,  WHY  NOT?" 

Brother  Thori  remarks  that  the  Do(5lor  appears  to 
be  very  pious,  and  professes  faith  in  the  ransom  and 
in  restitution.  The  incident  at  once  reminded  Brother 
T.  of  the  statement  of  Studies  in  The;  Scriptures, 
Voiv.  II.,  page  158,  which  reads  as  follows  : — 

**  Among  other  such  things  some  of  them  even 
teach  that  Christ  is  present y  and  we  doubt  not  ere  long 
they  will  give  seances  at  which  they  will  claim  to  show 
him  '  in  the  secret  chamber.'  "  (Matt.  24:  26.)  Brother 
T.  called  the  Do<5lor's  attention  to  this  Scripture  and 
this  application  of  it ;  but  he  was  so  enamored  by  the 
seducing  spirits  that  he  could  make  no  application  of 
it  to  his  own  experiences.  He  declared  that  it  referred 
to  such  preposterous  frauds  as  Schweinfurth. 

Here  we  see  more  of  Satan's  policy;  he  works  one 
fraud  against  another.  A  few  weak-minded  people  are 
deluded  into  thinking  and  claiming  that  they  are  *  'some 
great  one  "—Christs,  etc.,— and  by  hypnotic  powers 
deluding  a  few  into  their  **  heavens,"  thus  disgust 
more  sensible  people,  who,  believing  that  these  frauds 
fulfil  the  scope  of  our  Lord's  warning,  are  off  guard 
against  the  much  more  subtle  deceptions  of  Spiritism 
which  draw  nearer  and  nearer  daily. 

Then  again,  true  to  his  charadler  as  a  deceiver, 
Satan  begins  all  such  performances  with  the  outwardly 
devout.  He  puts  a  bait  on  his  hook  when  he  fisbes 
for  men.     It  will  be  found  that  self-willed  Christians, 


spiritism — Demonism,  77 

no  matter  what  their  morals  or  faith,  will  be  subjedl  to 
snares  of  the  great  enemy.  The  full  submission  of  the 
will  to  the  will  of  God  as  expressed  in  his  Word  is  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  overcome  the  world,  the  flesh  and 
the  devil. 

**WE  ARE  NOT  IGNORANT  OF  HIS  DEVICES." 

We  will  no  doubt  surprise  some  when  we  state  that 
to  our  understanding  ** Christian  Science,"  *'Theoso- 
phy,"  **  Mesmerism,"  **  Clairvoyance"  and  * 'Hypnot- 
ism, as  well  as  **Swedenborgianism,"  are  all  related 
to  Spiritism,  and  designed  by  the  * 'seducing  spirits" 
to  enthral  and  *'pass  along"  the  various  classes  of  man- 
kind w^ho  are  now  awakening  out  of  mental  lethargy  ; 
and  to  blind  their  eyes  to  the  truth  respeding  the  Lord 
and  his  Word. — 2  Cor.  4:4. 

*'  Christian  Science^'  by  its  attraAive  but  decep* 
tive  name,  no  less  than  by  its  lying  proposition  that 
there  is  no  pain,  no  sickness,  no  death,  no  sin,  no  devil, 
no  Savior — nor  need  of  any — by  the  very  absurdity  of 
its  claims  attradls  the  curious ;  and  by  its  seeming 
harmlessness  and  **good  works"  ensnares  the  unguard- 
ed and  uninstruc5led,  who  do  not  know  *'the  depths  of 
Satan."  (Rev.  2:24.)  Their  processes  for  treatment 
of  *Hmagined^'  diseases  seem  harmless,  but  are  their 
cures  therefore  less  of  the  demons  and  more  of  God 
than  those  of  Spiritualists  ?  While  a  pure  faith  in  the 
first  principles  of  the  docSlrines  of  Christ  is  not  to  be 
accepted  as  instead  of  good  morals,  the  latter  are  never- 
theless to  be  considered  as  concomitants  to  every  mani- 
festation of  divine  favor  and  power.  All,  therefore, 
who  deny  our  Lord  Jesus  as  the  Redeemer  of  mankind 
''*^ho  gave  his  life  ct  ransom  price  for  many/*   are  cot 


78  U^af  So/  the  Scriptures  f 

of  God,  and  their  *'  wonderful  works/'  whether  good 
or  bad,  are  not  to  be  credited  to  divine  power.* 

It  may  be  questioned  by  some  whether  Satan  and 
his  associates  can  be  charged  on  the  one  hand  with 
causing  sickness  and  death  (Heb.  2:14),  and  on  the 
other  hand  with  healing  the  sick  and  casting  out  devils. 
Would  not  this  seem  to  be  an  opposition  to  his  own 
kingdom  not  supposable  of  any  intelligent  being.  **  If 
Satan  cast  out  Satan  he  is  divided  against  himself; 
how  shall  then  his  kingdom  stand  ?  " — Matt.  12:  25,  26; 
Mark  3:  24-26. 

Very  true ;  and  this  shows  to  what  straits  **  the 
prince  of  this  world"  is  reduced  by  the  great  increase 
of  intelligence  shining  in  upon  the  world  during  the  past 
century.  The  demons  must  sham  to  be  "  angels  of 
light y ' '  teachers  of  advanced  truths  and  good  physicians, 
both  of  souls  and  bodies,  in  order  to  reensnare  those 
who  are  feeling  after  God,  if  haply  they  might  find 
him.  (Adls  17:27.)  The  words  of  inspiration  give  us 
to  understand  that  Satan's  struggles  to  retain  control 
of  mankind  will  be  specially  desperate  at  its  close — 
before  he  is  * 'bound'*  for  the  thousand  years  that  he 
may  deceive  the  nations  no  more. — Rev.  20:  i. 

Here  will  be  one  of  the  **  strong  delusions  "  men- 
tioned by  the  Apostle  Paul,  to  cope  with  which  God's 
people  will  have  need  of  *'the  whole  armor  God"  that 
they  ^'may  be  able  to  stand  in  this  evil  day."  (2  Thes. 
2 .9-12  ;  Bph.  6:11-13.)  We  are  now  in  the  period  of 
which  he  cautions  us  to  be  specially  on  guard  against 
*'seaucingspirits  and  dodlrines  of  devils. "(i  Tim.  4:1.) 
Here  the  Apostle  Peter  tells  us  to  **  beware  lest  ye 

*  For  an  examination  of  "  Christian   Science "  see  The  Watch 
Tower  of  May,  1891. 


spiritism — Demoyiism.  79 

^Iso  being  led  away  [seduced]  by  the  error  of  the 
wicked  [one]  fall  from  your  own  steadfastness."  (2  Pet. 
3:17.)  Hence  the  Lord  tells  us  to  watch  and  pray  to 
escape  the  delusions  which  will  be  so  strong  as  to  *  'de- 
ceive if  it  were  possible  the  very  eledl. "  (Matt.  24:24.) 
Shall  we,  in  view  of  these  warnings,  expe(5l  no  *  'strong 
delusions, '  *  deceptions  from  the  wicked  spirits  ?  Nay  ; 
we  expedl  far  more  during  the  next  few  years  than 
even  Spiritists  have  dreamed  of  hitherto. 

SATANIC  POWERS  MALIFIC. 


But  if  Satan  and  his  faithful  have  a  knowledge  of 
curative  agencies  and  skill  in  their  application  let  us 
not  forget  that  he  has  great  malific  power  also.  This 
has  already  been  demonstrated.  Take  the  case  of 
Jannes  and  Jambres,  the  celebrated  mediums  and  ma- 
gicians of  Egypt,  who  in  the  presence  of  Pharaoh 
duplicated  many  of  the  miracles  performed  by  divine 
power  through  Moses  and  Aaron.  They  could  trans- 
form their  rods  into  serpents  ;  they  also  turned  water 
into  blood ;  they  also  produced  frogs,  altho  they  could 
not  duplicate  the  plagues  of  lice,  etc.— Exod.  7:11, 
22  ;  8  :  7. 

We  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  fallen 
spirits  have  learned  considerable  during  the  past  four 
thousand  years  and  that  they  have  a  much  wider  range 
of  power  to-day.  We  are  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
grasshopper  plagues  and  the  multitudinous  farmer- 
pests  and  the  spores  and  microbes  of  disease  that  are 
afflic5ling  human  and  animal  life  in  recent  times,  may 
be  manifestations  of  the  same  power  for  evil.  Simil- 
arly Satan  is  ''the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air,"  and 


8o  Whaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

is  malevolent  enough  to  exercise  his  powers  to  the 
extent  of  divine  permission.  This  might  account  in 
part  for  the  great  floods,  cyclones  and  tornados  of  re- 
cent years. 

But  surely  such  forces  of  nature  are  not  left  in 
the  charge  of  demons  ?  some  one  inquires. 

Not  entirely; — most  assuredly  not;  otherwise  we 
may  doubt  if  the  world  would  be  at  all  habitable.  Take 
the  case  of  Job:  as  soon  as  divine  restraints  upon  Satan 
were  released,  he  moved  the  Sabeans  to  steal  Job's 
cattle  and  to  kill  his  servants;  he  caused  fire  to  come 
down  from  heaven,  which  not  only  killed  but  burned 
up  Job's  flocks  of  sheep;  he  sent  the  Chaldeans  who 
stole  Job's  camels,  and  finally  produced  a  cyclone  which 
smote  the  house  in  which  Job's  children  were  feasting 
together,  and  destroyed  the  house  and  killed  its  occu- 
pants ;  and  he  attacked  Job's  person  with  disease  as 
soon  as  granted  permission. — Job.  i:  9-2:  7, 

There  is  no  question  that  Satan  and  his  legions 
are  as  able  and  as  willing  as  ever  to  do  all  the  mischief 
that  divine  wisdom  may  see  fit  to  permit  them  to  do. 
It  only  remains,  therefore,  to  notice  that  God  has  not 
only  foretold  that  he  will  permit  them  to  have  great 
power  in  the  end  of  this  age,  but  also  why  he  does  sOe 
He  tells  us  that  he  is  about  to  *'pour  out  his  indigna- 
tion, even  all  his  fierce  anger, ' '  upon  the  world  of 
mankind,  as  a  chastisement  for  sin  and  for  a  corre(5lion 
toward  righteousness;  to  humble  mankind  and  to  pre- 
pare them  for  the  blessings  of  the  Millennial  Kingdom. 
All  are  familiar  with  the  plagues  foretold  in  the  book 
of  Revelation  about  to  be  poured  upon  the  world  in 
the  end  and  judgment  of  this  age.  Of  these  the  plagues 
upon  Egypt  were  illustrations, — even  tho  the  coming 


spiritism — Demonism,  8i 

plagues  be  described  in  symbols.  But  let  us  always  re- 
member God's  care  over  his  people  to  preserve  them 
from  every  calamity  which  would  not  under  divine  su- 
pervision work  out  for  them  some  valuable  lesson  or  ex- 
perience; and  let  us  remember  that  he  is  able  and  will- 
ing to  overrule  the  wrath  of  men  and  of  devils  and  to 
restrain  the  remainder  that  would  hinder  his  grand 
purposes 

The  following  words  of  Rev.  A.  B.  Simpson  are 
quite  to  the  point : — 

*'  The  healing  of  diseases  is  also  said  to  follow  the 
pra(5lices  of  Spiritualism,  and  Animal  Magnetism, 
Clairvoyance,  etc.  We  will  not  deny  that  while  some 
of  the  manifestations  of  Spiritualism  are  undoubted 
frauds,  there  are  many  that  are  unquestionably  super- 
natural, and  are  produced  by  forces  for  which  Physical 
Science  has  no  explanation.  It  is  no  use  to  try  to 
meet  this  terrific  monster  of  Spiritualism,  in  which,  as 
Joseph  Cook  says,  is,  perhaps,  the  great  if  of  our  im- 
mediate future  in  England  and  America,  with  the  hasty 
and  shallow  denial  of  the  fadls,  or  their  explanation  as 
tricks  of  legerdemain.  They  are  often  undoubtedly 
real  and  superhuman.  They  are  'the  spirits  of  devils 
working  miracles,'  gathering  men  for  Armageddon. 
They  are  the  revived  forces  of  the  Egyptian  magicians, 
the  Grecian  oracles,  the  Roman  haruspices,  the  Indian 
medicine-men.  They  are  not  divine,  they  are  less  than 
omnipotent,  but  they  are  more  than  human.  Our  Lord 
has  expressly  warned  us  of  them,  and  told  us  to  test 
them,  not  by  their  power,  but  by  their  fruits,  their 
holiness,  humility  and  homage  to  the  name  of  j'esus 
and  the  Word  of  God;  and  their  very  existence  ren- 
ders it  the  more  imperative  that  we  should  be  able  to 
present  against  them — like  the  rod  of  Moses  which 
swallowed  the  magicians' ,  and  at  last  silenced  their 
limited  power,  —  the  living  forces  of  a  holy  Chris« 
tianity." 


82  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

In  conclusion  let  spiritual  Israel  hear  the  Word  of 
the  Lord  to  fleshly  Israel: — 

*  *  When  thou  art  come  into  the  land  which  the 
I/)rd  thy  God  giveth  thee,  thou  shall  not  learn  to  do 
after  Th:^  abominations  o^  Thos^  nations.  There 
shall  not  be  found  among  you  any  one  that  .... 
USKTH  divination,  or  an  observer  of  times,  or  an  en- 
chanter, or  a  witch,  or  a  charmer,  or  a  consulter  with 
familiar  spirits^  or  a  wizard,  or  a  necromancer.  For 
all  that  do  these  thi?tgs  are  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord; 
and  because  of  these  abominations  the  Lord  thy  God  doth 
drive  them  out  from  before  thee."— Deut  i8: 9-12. 

**  When  they  shall  say  unto  you.  Seek  unto  them 
that  have  familiar  spirits,  and  unto  wizards  that  peep 
and  mutter:  Should  not  a  people  skkk  unto  Thkir 
God  ?  on  behalf  of  the  living  should  they  seek  unto 
theDKAD?  To  the  law  and  the  testimony:  if  they, 
speak  not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there  is 
no  light  in  them. ' ' — Isa.  8 : 1 9-20, 


LATER  REPORTS 
RESPECTING    SPIRITISM. 


The  foregoing  was  published  in  The  Watch 
Tower  in  parts  in  several  issues  in  June  and  July, 
'97.  Since  then,  many  who  read  it  have  sent  in  con- 
firmatory reports.  Among  those  of  sufficient  interest 
for  publication  are  the  following. 
tion  are  the  following. 

A  camp-meeting  of  Spiritists  and  Theosophists  ia 
reported  in  the  Allegheny  Record  of  Sept  9,  '97,  by  an 
Allegheny  lady  who  says:— 

*'I  am  frank  io  confess  that  two  more  delighted 
weeks  I  never  enjoyed  than  the  past  fortnight,  spent  in 
that  so-called  'hot-bed  of  Spiritualism,  Cassad^a  Camp, 
Lily  Dale,  N.  Y.  * 

"If  we  as  Christians  could  or  would  open  our  hearts 
to  the  truth  as  presented  there  this  season  by  such  giant 
intellects  as  Lyman  C.  Howe,  of  Fredonia;  Judge  Rich- 
mond, of  Meadville;  Dr.  Hicks,  New  York;  Mrs.  Carrie 
E.  Twing,  of  Westfield,  N.  Y. ;  Mrs.  Sheets,  from  Mich- 
igan; Annie  Besant  and  others — ^if,  I  repeat,  the  teach- 
ings of  all  such  representatives  of  the  faith  could  be 
received  into  honest,  unbiased  hearts,  then  would  there 
by  sucli  soul-expansion  as  would  burst  the  narrow  con- 
fines of  the  average  orthodox  intelligence,  and  Spiritual- 
ism, instead  of  being  shunned  as  a  fi-eakish,  uncanny 
something,  unworthy  the  thought  and  attention  of  in- 
telligent minds,  would  at  least  he  given  the  advantage 
3f  a  fair  trial. 

*  *  I  wonder  how  many  bound  down  by  orthodox  pre- 
i'adices  know  that  this  belief  is  founded  upon  principles 

(83) 


84  What  Say  ike  Scriptures  f 

immutable  as  time  itself,  and  that  honest  inyestigatora 
will  find  these  disciples  of  Spiritualism  far  and  away 
beyond  the  ken  of  their  Christian  (?)  critics  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  unfoldment  of  the  higher  life  ? ' ' 

Of  Theosophist  teachers  present  she  says:— 

"Among  the  most  noted  instructors  were  Senor  and 
Madame  de'Ovies,  Julian  Segunda  de'Ovies,  delegate  to 
America  of  the  Order  of  Bhagavat-Gita,  better  known 
as  the  'Order  of  Eighty'  the  most  ancient  order  of  occult 
adepts  in  the  ^vorld,  who  is  supreme  master  of  the  order, 
Cairo,  Egypt.  It  teaches  practical  psychology,  purity, 
temperance  in  all  things,  love  for  humanity  and  sincer- 
ity; to  know  ourselves,  that  we  may  attain  the  perfect 
manhood  and  womanhood,  and  approach  nearer  the  cos- 
mic light,  of  which  we  are  but  sparks ;  to  develop  the 
divinity  within  us,  that  we  may  heal  the  sick  and  com- 
fort the  sorrowing,  even  as  did  the  great  psychic,  Jesus 
of  Nazareth. 

"  By  meditation  and  concentration  to  see  visions 
and  receive  impressions  that  one  may  be  divinely  in- 
spired and  guided  in  all  things  by  wisdom.  The  Span- 
ish Mahatma  de'Ovies  teach  mechtation,  concentration, 
psychometry,  magnetism  and  healing  art,  character- 
reading,  hypnotism,  clairvoyance,  science  of  breathing, 
science  of  eating  and  every  other  branch  of  occult  phil- 
osophy. Circles  for  the  development  of  these  powers 
are  formed  after  each  course  of  lessons,  'iliis  science 
dispels  the  error  ot  bUndness,  so  man  can  see  v/ithout 
eyes — Senor  de'  Ovies  can  prove  this  at  any  time  and 
under  all  conditions.  The  Mahatma  claims  that  his 
powers  are  universal,  every  man  and  every  woman,  ex- 
cept an  imbecile  or  degenerate,  possesses  these  occult 
gifts.  The  Bhagavat  Gita  has  at  present  over  2,000 
members  in  the  United  States.  Senor  de'Ovies  has 
founded  several  research  societies  in  America,  the  last 
at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.'^ 

Thus  are  the  "  babes  in  Christ "  lured  to  evil,  by 
those  who  *'know  not  the  depths  of  Satan."  and  his 
schemes  to  entrap  then. 


spiritism — Demonism,  85 

SPIRITISM  GROWINGc 


A  Press  Dispatch  respecting  another  Spiritist  campc 
meeting,  published  in  the  Toledo  Blade,  reads  as  fol- 
lows: — 

''Anderson,  Ind.,  Aug.  2. —Statistics  which  have 
just  been  received  at  the  Indiana  Spiritualists'  state 
camp  at  Chesterfield,  show  the  growth  of  Spiritualism 
in  the  United  States  during  the  past  four  years.  It  has. 
has  been  very  rapid  and  is  represented  now  by  52  state 
associations  with  an  active  membership  of  235,000  and 
400  recognized  mediums.  The  states  in  which  the  as- 
sociations are  located  are  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Colo- 
rado, Maine,  Oregon,  California,  Florida,  Louisiana, 
Vermont,  New  York  and  New  Hampshire.  Spiritual- 
ists claim  2,000,000  believers." 


A  Watch  Tower  reader,  after  perusing  the  ar- 
ticles on  Spiritism,  v^^rites  as  follows : — 

"After  my  mother's  death  my  father  married  a 
woman  who  was  a  spirit  medium,  and  has  since  tried  to 
convince  me  of  Spiritism.  He  has  given  me,  repeated- 
ly, accounts  of  materializing  seancep  which  he  has  at- 
tended both  in  his  own  home  and  in  other  places.  He 
says  he  has  seen  as  many  as  fifteen  spirits  developed  at 
one  time,  both  adults  and  infants,  while  the  medium 
sat  in  her  cabinet  in  view  of  her  audience.  He  says 
that  sometimes  he  has  seen  a  misty  cloud  appear  near 
the  ceiling  and  gradually  descend  to  the  floor,  taking 
form  as  it  came  down,  until  it  stood  upon  the  floor  a 
solid,  tangible  human  being,  and  would  clasp  his  hand. 
The  hand  felt  as  tangible  in  his  grasp  as  my  own  would 
feel.  He  says  his  dead  daughters  (my  sisters)  and  other 
friends  who  are  dead  have  thus  appeared  to  him  robed 
in  pure  white.  Sometimes  they  would  materialize  a 
sparkling  lace  shawl  and  hold  it  up  and  shake  it  before 


86  U^ai  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

him;  they  would  sit  down  by  his  side  or  in  his  lap  and 
put  their  arms  around  his  neck  and  converse  with  him 
of  their  heavenly  home,  its  beauties,  its  lovely  flowers, 
etc. ,  and  of  his  own  future,  and  of  their  care  for  him. 
Finally  they  would  say,  ^  Well,  I  must  go,'  —and  the 
hand  clasped  in  his,  and  which  he  was  holding  tightly, 
would  begin  to  sink  out  of  his  grasp,  the  body  would 
grow  thin  until  objects  across  the  room  could  be  dis- 
cerned through  the  almost  transparent  body;  then  it 
would  disappear,  sometimes  going  down  through  the 
floor.  His  father  (my  grandfather)  who  was  a  physi- 
cian in  life,  he  says,  has,  through  mediums,  written 
prescriptions  for  medicines  for  him,  etc. 

'*  My  father  has  told  us  things  which  his  medium- 
wife  has  told  him — matters  about  our  family — which 
really  surprised  us,  as  we  knew  she  had  no  means  of 
knowing  except  through  supernatural  agency,  but  we 
saw  by  years  of  observation  of  Spiritism  sufficient  of  its 
abominations  to  convince  us  of  its  Satanic  origin,  and 
hence  I  never  had  much  faith  in  it,  and  finally  learned 
to  abhoi  it.  And  since  seeing  the  light  of  present 
truth,  as  we  now  see  it,  we  realize  its  wickedness  and 
its  demon-nature  more  fully  than  ever.  I  have  re^Dcat- 
edly  seen  mediums  *  under  control,*  and  have  noted 
how  fully  they  are  made  the  victims  of  the  demons  who 
possess  them  at  such  times — being  unaware  of  their  con- 
dition or  at  least  unable  to  control  their  words  and  ac- 
tions. Their  facial  expression  at  such  times  is  very 
peculiar." 

AN  EPISCOPAL  CLERGYIVIAN  ViTRITES:— 


' '  The  Watch  Tower  speaks  in  several  pasi  num- 
bers of  Spiritists  and  mentions  Clairaudiant  mediums. 
I  have  been  Hving  alone  as  a  bachelor  missionary  in 
Burma  for  some  years,  and  ever  since  my  wife  and  little 
boy  fell  asleep  in  '89  and  '90,  I  have  been  alone: 
and  I  pursued  somewhat  an  inquiry  into  animal  mag- 
netism with  reference  to  telegraphing  thought  at  a  dis- 
tance and,  I  am  sorry  10  add^   '  transfer  of  sensatioOo ' 


spiritism — Demonism.  8^ 

After  practising  this  (and  abhorring  Spiritism,  tho  not 
knowing  why,  and  not  connecting  the  two  together)  I 
found  suddenly  one  afternoon  voices  all  round  me  which 
have  continued  ever  since  more  or  less :  and  I  now  write 
to  you  to  beseech  Jehovah  to  have  mercy  on  my  body 
and  make  it  '  the  sanctuary  of  God  through  the  spirit/ 
taking  away  any  unclean  spirit  which  may  inhabit  it, 
and  giving  me  grace  and  power  to  resist,  or  flee,  or  get 
free  from,  any  and  every  influence,  or  power,  or  control, 
that  Satan  may  have  over  me. ' ' 

VIEWS  OP  A  WELLKNOWN  EX-SPIRITUALIST. 


Rev.  W.  H.  Clagett,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  Texas  Presbyterian  University,  who  was  once 
a  Spiritualist,  lectured  recently  in  Association  Hall  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  to  a  large  audience.  The  Brooklyn 
Eagle  gives  the  following  report  of  the  lecture: — 

' '  Dr.  Clagett  said  he  had  not  come  simply  to  amuse 
his  audience  nor  to  tell  them  stories.  He  wanted  to  go 
deeper  than  that.  'Frankly, '  he  went  on,  'I  have  no  hope 
of  converting  the  confirmed  Spiritualist.  Fortunately, 
or  unfortunately,  it  has  been  my  lot  to  see  a  great  deal 
of  Spiritualism.  I  was  a  firm  believer  in  it  for  years, 
often  acting  as  a  medium  in  private  seances.  There  is 
a  deeper  interest  in  this  question  than  many  Christians 
think.  Spiritualism  is  one  of  the  greatest  powers  for 
evil  in  the  world.  Most  of  you  will  be  surprised  when 
I  tell  you  that  it  has  between  900,000  and  1,000,000 
followers  in  the  United  States.  We  cannot  get  rid  of 
this  incipient  evil  by  denouncing  it;  we  must  instruct 
the  people.  I  believe  there  is  such  a  thing  as  commun- 
ication between  men  and  spirits.  I  believe  that  there 
are  real  spirits  connected  with  modern  Spiritualism.  A 
great  many  people  have  wondered  at  the  power  of  Spir- 
itualism to  mislead  intelligent  people.  Some  of  you 
will  remember  that  some  years  ago  Dr.  Kettles,  "the 
superintendent  of  all  the  public  schools  in  New  York, 
avowed  his  belief  in  Spiritualismo     It  appeals  to  one  of 


SB  '  '  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

the  strongest  feelings  in  the  human  heart — our  love  fos 
our  dead.  Where  are  these  loved  ones  ?  Do  they  still 
exist?  What  is  the  nature  of  that  existence ?  To  the 
man  who  rejects  the  Bible  no  answer  comes  to  these 
questions.  All  is  dark,  and  as  the  soul  tries  to  penetrate 
the  gloom,  it  cries  out  with  the  most  intense  longing, 
-  Where  are  you  ?  '  Satan,  in  the  form  of  Spiritualism, 
offers  to  bring  the  loved  one  back  again  so  that  we  can 
hear  his  voice  and  actually  see  his  face. ' 

' '  Then,  again.  Spiritualism  comes  to  us  as  a  new 
religion.  It  proposes  to  be  a  system  of  religious  phil- 
osophy. It  undertakes  to  solve  the  question:  '  If  a  man 
die  shall  he  live  again  ? '  By  attacking  the  soul  in  this 
subtle  and  plausible  manner  it  is  not  strange  that  Satan 
in  the  form  of  Spiritualism  leads  many  astray.   .   .  . 

' '  Dr.  Clagett  characterized  Spiritualism  as  alike 
silly  and  degrading.  '  To  think, '  he  said,  '  of  a  wife 
or  mother,  even  if  she  could  communicate  with  us  on 
earth,  going  to  a  woman  whom  she  never  knew  and  with 
whom  she  would  not  have  associated  if  she  had,  and 
telling  her  the  most  sacred  things — the  idea  is  degrad- 
ing and  a  dishonor!  Spiritualism  is  a  fraud,  two-thirds 
of  it  being  devil  at  second  hand  and  the  rest  of  it  devil 
at  first  hand.'  " 


In -a  book  recently  published,  entitled  '^  The  Powers 
of  the  Air, ' '  the  author,  formerly  a  medium,  relates 
some  strange  experiences  with  spirits.  We  give  his  ac- 
count of  his  experiences  with  a  spirit  which  professed 
to  be  the  Lord,  and  which  gave  him  to  understand  that 
he,  the  medium,  was  to  be  greatly  used  in  converting 
the  world ;  and  that  he  would  occupy  a  very  similar  po- 
sition to  that  of  the  Lord  at  his  first  advent,  except  that 
he  would  be  blessed  with  marvelous  and  miraculous 
success.     We  quote: — 

* '  I  felt  happy,  very  happy,  with  Jesus  at  my  side, 
as  I  verily  believed.     As  the  writing  progressed^  I  felt 


spiritism — Demonism.  89 

the  more  certain  that  it  was  true,  because  the  style  and 
diction  indicated  a  pure  mind  and  heart. ' '  Later  on 
the  spirit  said,  "  I  am  your  Father  and  your  God.  .  .  . 
I  am  the  Almighty,  the  Creator  of  all  things.  In  this 
manner  I  spake  to  the  patriarchs  of  old — to  Adam,  to 
Noah,  to  Abraham,  Moses  and  others."  This  commun- 
ication caused  the  medium  to  tremble  with  fear.  The 
spirit  then  said,  ' '  Be  not  afraid,  ...  I  am  your  Maker 
and  your  Father,  and  you  are  my  child — my  very  dear 
child;  child  by  creation  and  also  by  redemption;  there- 
fore you  need  not  fear. ' '  The  spirit  then  went  on  to  say, 
"  I  have  chosen  you  to  be  my  second  Christ;  I  have  ap- 
pointed Jesus,  my  son,  to  instruct  you  and  make  you 
wise  in  all  things — to  do  my  will  in  the  great  work  of 
man's  salvation." 

The  spirit  then  instructed  his  medium  to  become 
associated  with  a  certain  clerical  friend  as  an  assistant 
in  the  great  work  of  saving  souls;  and  said,  *'As  the 
Anglo-Saxon  and  German  races  have  grown  so  sensitive 
that  spirits  can  impress  their  minds,  and  in  many  in- 
stances control  their  bodies,  so  I  have  determined  to 
introduce  a  new  dispensation,  and  for  this  purpose  I 
have  called  you  and  your  friend  to  open  and  prepare 
the  way  for  its  introduction.  Be  humble,  prayerful  and 
faithful,  and  all  will  be  well.  Let  me  say  to  you  again, 
be  humble — humble  as  a  child  before  God. ' '  The  evil 
spirit  endeavored  to  make  him  believe  in  * '  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world  to  God,"  through  his  instrumentality, 
and  at  once,  himself  being  the  representative  of  Christ 
to  do  the  second  advent  work  of  saving  the  world. 
To  throw  him  off  his  guard  it  cautioned  him,  saying: — 

''The  evil  spirits  are  all  around  you.  Their  abid- 
ingplace,  until  the  judgment,  is  the  air,  or  atmosphere 
of  the  earth;  and  they  work  in  the  children  of  disobe- 
dience by  impressing,  or  infusing,  into  their  minds 
thoughts  and  desires  which  are  wicked  and  selfish;  and 
also  by  inflaming  their  passions,  thus  leading  them  often 
so  commit  tJie  mog  ■  atrocious  deeds.  There  is  in  this 


9C  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

world  a  continual  conflict,  as  you  are  aware,  between 
the  powers  of  darkness,  so-called,  and  the  powers  of 
light.  .  .  .  The  slow  progress  made  by  my  Gospel  in  the 
world  since  my  ascension  may  be  inferred  from  what 
has  been  said.  .  .  .  My  beloved  servant  Judson  spent 
many  years  in  heathen  lands  before  a  single  convert  was 
rescued  and  brought  to  God.'* 

The  medium  thought  that  none  but  a  good  being 
would  talk  in  this  way ;  hence  the  spirit  must  be  what 
it  claimed  to  be,  or  else  it  would  be  a  great  deceiver, 
and  a  very  bad  being.  Still  he  was  troubled  with  doubts 
about  the  remarkable  communications  that  he  was  re- 
ceiving.    The  spirit  then  went  on  to  say: — 

*'  You  seem  to  be  in  doubt  about  your  calling;  you 
need  not  be  for  a  moment.  Launch  your  little  barque 
into  the  broad  ocean  of  God's  infinite  love,  and  you  will 
find  aid  and  comfort.  The  true  secret  of  success  in  any 
enterprise  is  to  be  fired  with  zeal.  You  need  not  fear 
to  commence.  You  now  understand  the  law  of  control 
in  reference  to  moral  forces,  which  may  be  brought  to 
bear  on  the  children  of  men. 

**  In  conclusion,  I  will  say  that  I  design,  first,  to 
call  in  the  Jews;  then  afterward  the  Gentiles.  So  you 
will  first  proceed  to  New  York.  There  you  will  be  aided 
by  Mr.  Beecher  and  others,  and  then  proceed  to  Pales* 
tine,  where  I  will  meet  you  and  give  you  success. 

* '  While  meditating  on  these  things  that  *  still  small 
voice '  came  to  me  again,  saying,  *  I  am  the  Lord  your 
God,  and  have  a  work  for  you  to  perform.  I  must  call 
in  my  people,  the  Jews,  preparatory  to  that  great  event 
which  is  soon  to  transpire,  and  I  have  arranged  for  you 
'to  go  to  New  York,  and  there  meet  Mr.  Beecher,  who 
will  greatly  aid  you  in  your  work  of  assembling  my 
ancient  people  at  Jerusalem,  preparatory  to  their  being 
converted  and  made  meet  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
You  will  leave  your  home  unknown  to  your  family,  and 
proceed  to  a  place  that  I  will  direct  you  to.' 

"  '  I  am  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth;  I,  the  Lord,  have 
called  you  to  warn  all  men  to  flee  from  the  wrath  which 


spiritism — Demonism.  91 

is  to  come.  The  judgment  day  is  approaching,  when 
all  men,  small  and  great,  shall  stand  before  my  throne. 
Therefore  be  diligent,  be  faithful,  and  do  as  I  command 
you,  and  great  shall  be  your  reward.  You  have  left 
those  you  loved,  many  of  whom  are  in  the  bonds  of 
iniquity.  Now,  therefore,  fix  your  mind  upon  those 
whose  conversion  you  so  desire,  and  while  you  pray  I 
will  seal  conviction  upon  their  hearts,  and  they  shall 
be  converted  for  your  sake,  even  while  you  are  speaking. ' 

' '  With  emotion  deep  and  overwhelming,  I  fixed 
my  mind  upon  one  for  whom  I  had  felt  unusual  interest. 
I  prayed  until  sobs  and  tears  choked  my  utterance,  when 
that  still,  small,  solemn  whisper  came  to  me  with  dis- 
tinctness again,  saying,  ^  Your  prayer  is  answered :  your 
friend  is  converted,  and  is  now  rejoicing  with  joy  un- 
speakable and  full  of  glory.' 

"'My  child,'  said  the  solemn  voice  again,  'fix 
your  mind  upon  another,  and  I  will  bless  again  even 
for  your  sake. '  I  commenced  then  again  with  the  same 
childlike  simplicity  of  prayer  as  before,  fixing  my  mind 
distinctly  on  the  person  I  desired  converted,  and  after 
a  few  moments  of  earnest  pleading  I  heard  again  the 
voice,  saying,  'Child,  thy  prayer  is  heard,  and  thy 
friend  is  now  happy  in  my  love. ' 

' '  Thus  I  continued  for  many  hours,  my  heart  be- 
coming more  and  more  interested  in  the  work,  and 
swelling  with  the  love  of  God,  as  I  continued  to  fix  my 
mind  on  one  after  another  of  those  whose  souls'  salva- 
tion was  near  and  dear  to  me.  At  length  the  solemn 
voice  said,  '  Have  you  no  other  relations  and  friends  on 
whom  you  can  fix  your  mind  in  prayer  ? '  I  replied  by 
saying,  '  I  can  think  of  no  more. '  '  Then, '  said  the 
voice,  'fix  your  mind  upon  any  ungodly  man  you 
choose,  and  I  will  hear  and  bless  him  for  your  sake. ' 

"  With  tearful  eyes  I  then  renewed  my  prayer,  fix- 
ing my  mind  upon  one  and  then  another  of  those  whom 
I  knew  to  be  worst  in  wickedness.  At  the  end  of  each 
petition  the  answer  came:  '  Your  petition  is  heard,  and 
he  for  whom  you  supplicated  is  among  the  redeemed.' 
This  continued  perhaps  an  hour  longer,  when,  growing 


92  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

weary  from  exhaustion  and  fatigue,  I  retired  and  slept 
as  sweetly  as  a  child  upon  the  bosom  of  its  mother. 

' '  As  the  soft  light  of  morn  stole  into  my  window, 
I  heard  again  the  still,  small  voice,  saying,  '  Arise,  my 
child,  and  hear  the  good  news.  Those  for  whom  you 
prayed  are  happy  in  my  love,  are  rejoicing  in  hope  and 
have  heard  of  your  mission,  and  are  coming  to  rejoice 
with  you  and  bid  you  God-speed.' 

' '  Having  arranged  my  toilet  and  kindled  the  fire, 
I  ordered  breakfast  to  be  served  in  my  room.  When 
seated  at  the  table,  and  about  to  commence  my  repast, 
the  voice  said  in  the  kindest  and  sweetest  manner,  'You 
heed  feel  no  embarrassment  in  my  presence;  have  I  not 
always  been  present  with  you  ?  do  I  not  know  your 
every  thought,  your  every  word,  and  your  every  deed  ? 
Ask  the  blessing  on  your  repast  in  your  usual  way,  just 
as  if  I  were  not  personally  present,  for  tho  I  am  not 
present  everywhere  in  person,  yet  I  am  present  every- 
where in  my  omnipotent  power  and  wisdom. ' 

' '  The  repast  being  over,  the  voice  of  the  Almighty, 
as  I  believed,  said  '  This  day  will  be  a  day  to  this  place 
such  as  they  never  experienced  before.  God  is  in  this 
place,  and  they  know  it  not.  I  will  now  whisper  to 
every  man's  mind,  as  I  whispered  to  you  in  the  still 
small  voice,  saying,  '  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God  in  judg- 
ment,' and,  hearing  ;Ms,  they  will  assemble  in  two  dif- 
ferent churches  for  prayer;  at  the  same  time  the  con- 
verted ones  for  whom  you  prayed  in  the  night  will  have 
arrived  in  the  place,  and  will  join  in  the  general  rejoic- 
ing, and  crying  for  mercy,  and  thu."^  the  wave  of  salva- 
tion, so  astonishingly  begun  in  this  place,  shall  roll  over 
the  whole  earth,  because  that  day  is  approaching,  that 
great  and  terrible  day,  when  all  men  shall  receive  ac- 
cording to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  In  the  mean- 
time you  may  go  up  and  call  on  Mr.  A ,  who  is  my 

servant,  and  a  godly  man.  You  will  find  him  at  his 
church  preparatory  to  the  great  assembling  of  people. ' 

"  I  was  so  moved  by  this  good  news,  and  the  pro- 
mise of  salvation  to  such  multitudes  of  perishing  soula^ 
that  tears  flowed  freely  from  my  eyes.     In  this  condi* 


SpiriHsm — Demonism.  93 

tion  of  mind,  I  passed  down  the  main  entrance  of  the 
hotel  to  the  street.  Looking  around,  I  saw  no  unusual 
stir;  but,  thinking  that  God  worked  silently  with  every 
heart,  I  passed  on  with  the  certain  expectation  that  I 
should  find  the  minister  at  the  church  designated,  and 
many  assembled  for  worship. 

'*  On  arriving  at  the  church,  I  found,  to  my  aston- 
ishment, the  doors  closed,  and  not  a  single  person  in  or 
about  the  building.  1  soon  found  the  minister  at  his 
residence,  and  to  my  still  greater  astonishment  he  in- 
formed me  that  there  was  to  be  no  meeting  there  that 
day.  I  returned  to  the  hotel,  expecting  that  by  this 
time  those  for  whom  I  prayed,  and  who,  I  believed, 
were  rejoicing  in  a  conscious  hope  of  sins  forgiven,  had 
arrived,  but  in  that,  again,  was  sorely  disappointed. 

*'  Passing  up  to  my  room,  I  inquired  of  the  Lord 
why  this  strange  failure.  To  which  the  voice  replied 
in  the  same  distinct  and  well-defined  whisper,  '  The 
failure  is  caused  by  the  mischievous  conduct  of  wicked 
spirits,  who  have  of  late  been  whispering  in  the  ears 
of  the  people,  which  has  confused  them,  and  they  do 
not  recognize  in  my  whisper  the  still  small  voice  of  the 
Almighty. ' 

'''But,'  said  I,  'what  will  become  of  thy  great 
name  ? ' 

"  The  voice  replied  by  saying,  '  I  will  take  all  re- 
membrance of  this  failure  from  their  minds;  and  they 
shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord;  that  with  me  there  is 
no  variableness  or  shadow  of  turning.  But  you,  my 
child,  will  proceed  on  your  mission  of  calling  in  the 
Jews,  the  same  as  though  this  seeming  failure  had  not 
occurred. ' 

"  '  But,'  said  I,  in  reply,  '  I  have  not  the  where- 
withal to  convey  me  to  New  York. ' 

"  'Yes,  my  child,  but  I  have  provided  against  all 
contingencies  of  that  kind  by  impressing  a  wealthy  man 
in  the  city  of  New  York  to  telegraph  the  bank  in  this 
place  to  furnish  you  all  necessary  funds.  Be  therefore 
not  faithless,  but  believe. ' 

*'This  calmed  my  mind^  reassured  my  confidence, 


9A  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

and  I  immediately  left  for  the  bank.  Stepping  up  to 
the  counter,  I  inquired  if  a  certain  man,  calling  him  by- 
name, now  living  in  New  York,  had  telegraphed  to  this 
bank  to  place  money  to  my  credit.  The  banker  assured 
me  that  no  telegram  had  been  received. 

' '  Again  I  inquired  the  cause  of  the  failure.  The 
same  mysterious  voice  replied  by  saying,  '  The  cause  of 
this  failure  is  the  same  that  produced  the  others;  but,' 
continued  the  voice,  '  I  am  the  Almighty.  I  have  power 
to  kill  and  make  alive,  and  those  who  have  interfered 
with  my  purposes  I  will  judge;  therefore  rest  in  hope, 
and  all  shall  be  made  right. ' 

''  I  yet  had  confidences  in  my  senses.  I  was  certain 
that  I  had  heard  the  voice,  and  I  could  not  force  my- 
self to  believe  that  any  creature  above  or  beneath  could 
be  found  who  would  dare  to  personify  or  assume  to  be 
the  Almighty  himself.  I  also  thought  back  over  the 
communications  I  had  received.  I  reminded  myself  of 
the  deep-toned  piety  which  pervaded  them,  and  of  the 
kind  assurances  given  me;  and,  summing  it  all  up,  I 
felt  deeply  impressed  that  I  could  not  be  deceived. 

* '  While  thus  meditating,  the  voice  uttered  these 
words,  '  Return  to  your  home  and  all  will  be  well. ' 
Obedient  to  the  command,  I  immediately  set  out  for  the 
place  of  my  former  residence. 

' '  My  sudden  disappearance  from  home  had  caused 
no  small  stir  among  the  friends  and  relatives,  but  my 
presence  soon  reassured  them.  How  little,  thought  I, 
did  they  understand  the  real  cause  of  my  absence.'* 

The  medium  finally  reached  the  conclusion  that  he 
had  been  deceived  by  evil  spirits.     He  continues: — 

' '  The  reader  might  suppose  that  the  would-be  Di- 
vine intelligence  who  had  followed  me  so  long  and  had 
so  grossly  deceived  me  would,  upon  having  been  dis- 
covered to  be  but  devils  clothed  as  angels  of  light,  have 
left  me,  never  to  appear  again.  But  this  was  not  the 
case.  So  far  as  ability  to  impress  my  mind  with  their 
thought  was  concerned,  I  found  that  they  possessed 
©Yen  more  power,  and  that  it  was  every  day  increasing. 


spiritism — Demonism.  95 

[This  is  a  part  of  the  danger:  the  will  which  at  first  is 
strong  and  well  able  to  resist  such  approaches  gradually 
loses  its  power  and  becomes  weaker  each  time  it  yields.] 

"As  soon  as  it  was  really  apparent  that  I  had  been 
deceived,  I  sank  into  the  very  grave  of  disappointment. 
My  hopes,  which  had  been  raised  up  to  the  seventh 
heaven,  were  dashed  down  to  the  lowest  pit.  My  in- 
visible deceiver  for  several  days  continued  to  flatter  me 
at  times  that  all  was  well — that  God  was  as  really  in  the 
darkness  of  this  disappointment  as  in  the  light  of  the 
brightest  hopes  of  former  days." 

At  last  becoming  fully  convinced  of  the  deceitfulness 
of  these  communicating  spirits,  he  refused  to  be  under 
their  control  any  longer.  They  then,  in  answer  to  the 
subjoined  questions,  made  the  following  confession  and 
admissions : — 

' '  You  were  first  led  into  a  belief  that  Spiritualism 
was  but  the  harbinger  of  the  Millennial  glory  by  the 
few  first  communications.  They  were  certainly  grand, 
and  were  given  with  the  express  design  of  leading  you 
to  believe  they  were  from  Jesus  Christ  and  God  himself. 
You  ought  to  have  suspected  this.  All  hooks  are  baited 
with  a  very  gilded  bait. 

"  Question:  Are  not  the  doctrines  taught  generally 
by  Spiritualists  denominated  in  the  Scripture  the  doc- 
trines of  devils  or  demons? 

"Answer:  Yes,  they  are,  in  very  deed,  the  doctrines 
of  devils  or  demons,  because  they  generally  reject  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles  and  followers. 
A.  J.  D.  was  inspired  to  my  certain  knowledge  by  the 
prince  of  demons,  or,  in  other  words,  the  most  intel- 
lectual demon  belonging  to  the  powers  of  the  air.  His 
'  Harmonial  Philosophy  '  was  all  written  under  inspira- 
tion of  demoniac  influence.  There  is  no  Jesus  Christ 
or  any  other  doctrines  taught  by  Jesus  in  his  works  — 
they  are  Christless  or  Antichrist.  .  .  .  Spiritualism  was 
^<>nceived  in  sin  and  brought  forth  in  iniquity.     It  is  a 


96  W/iat  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

dead  carcass — a  carcass  that  will  be  a  stench  to  the  good 
of  the  whole  earth. 

'  ■  Q. :  But  do  you  never  expect  to  be  better  ? 

'*A. :  Never.  We  are  the  debris  of  God's  moral 
creation,  cast  off  as  far  as  we  know  only  to  be  destroyed. 

"  Q. :  But  do  not  the  pious  dead  surround  those 
who  are  still  in  the  body  as  guardians  from  the  influ- 
ences of  evil? 

'  'A. :  They  are  never  seen  by  us,  if  they  do.  We 
see  nothing  around  the  pious,  any  more  than  around 
the  wicked.  But  we  are  often  around  them  ourselves, 
infusing  into  their  minds  some  infidel  or  atheistic 
thought,  to  see  how  they  will  receive  it.  We  take  delight 
in  disturbing  and  irritating  them,  just  as  we  do  you. 

"  Q. :  How  do  the  inhabitants  of  your  world  most- 
ly spend  their  time  ? 

"A.:  We  spend  the  time  mostly,  since  the  disco- 
very of  the  mediumistic  communications,  in  developing 
mediums;  in  making  psychological  experiments  with 
them,  and  in  communicating  through  them. 

"  Q. :  Do  you  not  think  that  good  si^irits  develop 
mediums  and  communicate  through  them  as  well  as 
yourselves  ? 

"A.:  I  think  not:  we  think  we  are  warranted  in 
the  conclusion  that  no  pious  dead,  nor  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  nor  angels  have  anything  to  do  with 
controlling  mediums  at  the  present  day. 

"These  spirit  manifestations  are  clearly  prophesied 
of  by  the  Apostle  Paul  in  2  Thessalonians :  '  And  then 
shall  that  wicked  be  revealed,  whom  the  Lord  shall  con- 
sume with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  shall  destroy 
with  the  brightness  of  his  coming;  even  him  whose  com- 
ing is  after  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power  and 
signs  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  deceivableness  of 
unrighteousness  in  them  that  perish;  because  they  re- 
ceived not  the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be 
saved.  And  for  this  cause  God  shall  send  them  strong 
delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie;  that  they  might 
be  damned  who  believed  not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure 
in  unrighteousnesSo'     This  passage  sets  forth  the  signs 


spiritism — Demonism.  97 

of  these  times  so  clearly  that  all  the  righteous  or  pious 
can  clearly  understand. 

' '  We  have  been  provokea  to  reveal  to  you  the  fact 
that  all  the  revelations  through  mediums  to  the  effect 
that  all  men  are  progressing  to  a  state  of  holiness  and 
happiness  are  false,  totally  and  absolutely  folse.  We 
have  as  good  an  opportunity  to  know  the  facts  connect- 
ed with  all  the  modern  revelations  as  any  spirits  can 
know  in  this  world,  and  we  certainly  know  that  they 
are  not  of  God,  but  from  spirits,  some  of  them  guilty 
of  greater  abuses,-  if  it  were  possible  to  inflict  any 
greater,  than  we  have  inflicted  upon  you, 

"  You  ask  us  how  we  know  that  modern  spiritual 
demonstrations  are  not  of  God?  We  answer  that  we 
know  it  from  the  following  reasons :  These  spirit  demon- 
strations are  made  by  spirits  who  hate  God,  and  have 
no  fellowship  with  that  which  is  good,  .  .  .  they  uni- 
versally reject  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  denounc- 
ing it  as  a  fable  and  unworthy  of  belief  All  the  revela- 
tions yet  made  by  spirit  manifestations  have  not  so  much 
Gospel  truth  in  them  as  has  yet  resulted  in  the  regenera- 
tion of  one  soul,  in  the  sense  that  Jesus  Christ  taught 
regeneration.  The  revelations  of  these  spirits  are  just 
what  you  might  expect  from  beings  who  have  not  the 
love  of  God  in  them. 

[Here  we  have  an  exemplification  of  our  Lord's 
words,  "  If  Satan  cast  out  Satan  he  is  divided  against 
himself;  how  shall  then  his  kingdom  stand?''  (Matt. 
12:  26;  Mark  3:23-27.)  Similarly  the  cures  done  by 
Spiritists,  Theosophists  and  Christian  Scientists  we  be- 
lieve are  evidences  that  Satan's  kingdom  is  being  hard 
pressed  and  is  soon  to  fall  before  our  King  Immanuel.] 

' '  Q. :  The  Bible  speaks  of  the  prince  of  the  power  of 
the  air,  or  in  the  air;  what  may  we  understand  by  this  ? 

"Spirit:  You  will  understand  that  the  prince  is  the 
name  of  the  ruling,  spirit  of  evil.  There  are  many 
spirits  in  the  air  who  are  rulers,  just  as  Indian  chiefs 
rule  the  tribes  to  which  they  belong,  7 


98  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

*^  Q. :  To  what  extent  have  the  powers  of  the  air  do- 
minion  and  rule  over  the  children  of  men  ? ' ' 

'  'A. ;  They  have  the  power  to  produce  lifelike  images 
in  the  minds  of  impressible  mediums.  This  is  often 
understood  by  them  to  be  an  actual  sight  of  a  real  ob- 
ject.    This  leads  to  a  great  variety  of  delusions. 

''Those  who  are  called  leaders  of  Spiritualism,  and 
who  know  the  fallacy  of  those  impressions,  allow  the 
deceptions  to  go  on,  and  are  therefore  participators  in 
the  swindle.  This  stamps  them  with  infamy.  The 
spirits  have  the  power  of  using  the  human  body,  with 
all  its  organs  aud  faculties.  This  is  done  in  the  case  of 
trance  speakers  and  personating  mediums.  Perhaps 
they  enter  the  body  by  means  ot  electrical  and  galvanic 
influences,  and,  having  entered,  they  use  the  vocal  or- 
gans. 

' '  They  also  possess  power  to  move  ponderous  ob- 
jects, such  as  tables,  chairs,  etc.  This  is  generally  ac- 
complished by  the  agency  of  scores  and  hundreds  of  the 
invisible  workers. ' ' 

This  writer  further  explains: — 

"They  could  imitate  the  manner  of  speech  pe- 
culiar to  my  relatives  and  acquaintances,  and  so  exactly 
did  they  give  the  particular  intonation  and  inflections 
of  voice^  that  I  would  have  been  compelled  to  believe 
the  imitation  to  be  the  real  had  they  not  also  imitated 
the  voices  of  some  whom  I  knew  to  be  living.  Upon 
one  occasion  that  occurs  particularly  to  my  mind,  the 
voice,  style  of  address,  and  intonation  were  so  exactly 
personified  that  for  the  moment  I  felt  positive  that  the 
gentleman  and  lady  represented  had  deceased,  and  that 
their  disembodied  spirits  were  before  me.  But  when  I 
knew  by  the  evidences  of  my  physical  senses  that  it  was 
not  the  case,  I  was  then  convinced  that  the  spirits  were 
presenting  assumed  characters. 

"That  the  reader  may  be  fortified  at  every  point, 
and  never  be  drawn  into  the  belief'  that  any  communi- 
cation from  the  spirit  world  can  in  any  sense  be  from 
God  (though  it  may  breathe  what  seems  like  heaven  it- 


spiritism — Demonism,  99 

self,  and  be  characterized  by  lofty  sentiment,  and  the 
most  elegant  phraseology,  and  classic  purity  of  style), 
let  him  remember  that  if  such  are  given  through  your- 
self as  a  medium,  or  through  any  other  medium,  it  will 
only  be  but  the  prelude  or  introduction  to  something 
monstrous  and  absurd.  All  my  experiences  with  these 
beings  who  surround  us  in  the  air  sum  up  this  distinct 
conclusion:  that  they  delight  in  evil  as  their  chief  object, 
and  especially  that  branch  of  evil  called  deception.  If 
any  one  thing  pleases  them  more  than  any  other,  it  is 
to  make  those  in  the  earth-life  believe  the  most  mon- 
strous and  absurd  theories.  I  would  exhort  the  reader, 
as  did  the  Apostle  Paul,  in  these  words :  '  Though  we, 
or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accursod. ' 

'  'The  most  subtle  method  which  these  powers  of  the 
air  use  to  induce  belief  in  their  monstrous  absurdities 
consists  in  making  friendly  allusions  to  Jesus  Christ  and 
his  gospel,  and  in  speaking  very  highly  of  its  doctrines; 
they  may  even  give  a  grand  dissertation  upon  one  of 
them,  and  in  the  meantime  weave  into  the  framework 
of  this  dissertation  a  subtle  philosophy  which  would 
undermine  the  consistency  of  the  whole,  and  render  it 
delusive. ' ' 

How  evident  it  is  from  the  foregoing  that  God's 
people  need  more  and  more  to  rely  upon  their  Father's 
Word,  and  not  upon  feelings  and  impressions  and  '  'voic- 
es' '  which  generally,  if  not  always,  deceive.  While  the 
spirit  of  the  Truth  is  to  be  sought,  and  not  merely  its 
letter,  yet  the  careful  study  of  the  letter  of  God's  Word 
is  needful,  together  with  an  honesty  of  heart  that  de- 
lights to  know  and  do  the  will  of  the  Lord,  — at  any  cost, 
at  any  sacrifice  of  prejudice,  human  preference,  etc. 

The  Word  of  God  is  sufficient  that  the  man  of  God 
may  be  thoroughly  furnished. — 2  Tim.  3:  16,  17. 

"Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth:  thy  Word  is 
trutho"— John  17:  i7o 


IOC  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

TAKE   A   LESSON   FROM   THE   IVYo 


THE  following  beautiful  verses,  by  Cliarles  Mackay,  well 
illustrate  the  fact  that  there  can  be  no  proper  Christian 
growth  in  the  darkness  of  sin,  superstition  and  Satanic  influ- 
ence;— that  the  True  Light  and  the  inspired  Word  through  which 
it  reaches  us  are  absolutely  necessary  to  our  proper  development. 

THE  Ivy  in  a  dungeon  grew, 
Unfed  by  rain,  uncheered  by  dew, 
Its  pallid  leaflets  only  drank 
Cave  moisture  foul,  or  odors  dank. 

But  through  the  dungeon  grating  high 
There  fell  a  sunbeam  from  the  8k y, 
It  slept  upon  the  grateful  floor 
In  silent  gladness  evermore. 

The  Ivy  felt  a  tremor  shoot 
Through  all  its  fibres  to  the  root, 
It  felt  the  light,  it  saw  the  ray. 
It  longed  to  blossom  into  dayv 

It  grew,  it  crept,  it  pushed,  it  clomb. 
Long  had  the  darkness  been  its  home; 
For  well  it  knew,  though  veiled  in  night, 
The  goodness  and  the  joy  of  light. 

It  reached  the  beam,  it  thrilled,  it  curled. 
It  blessed  the  warmth  that  cheers  the  world,' 
It  grew  towards  the  dungeon  bars, 
It  looked  upon  the  moon  and  stars. 

Upon  that  solitary  place 
Its  verdure  threw  adorning  grace. 
The  mating  birds  became  its  guests. 
And  sang  its  praises  from  their  nests. 

By  rains  and  dews  and  sunshine  fed, 
Upon  the  outer  wall  it  spread, 
And  in  the  day  beam  roaming  free. 
It  grew  into  a  stately  tree. 

Would' st  know  the  moral  of  the  rhyme? 
Behold  the  heavenly  light  and  climb. 
To  every  dungeon  comes  a  ra^ 
Of  God's  iimnitable  da^ 


THE  SPIRITS  IN  PRISON, 

^*  THOSE    ANGELS   WHICH   KEPT   NOT  THEIR 

FIRST  ESTATE." 

*'The  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of  men  that  they  were 
fair;  and  they  took  them  wives  of  all  which  they  chose.  .  .  , 
And  they  bare  children  to  them;  the  same  became  mighty  men, 
which  were  of  old,  men  of  renown." — Gen.  6:2,  4. 


HE  SCRIPTURES  not  only  point  us  to  the  future 
age  and  call  the  spiritual  government  of  Christ 
which  shall  then  exist  a  "new  heavens,"  and  earthly- 
society  and  institutions  then  to  be  established  a  "new 
earth, ' '  b\it  similarly  the  Scriptures  represent  the  present 
spiritual  rulership  (under  Satan,  "the  prince  of  this 
world  "),  with  the  earthly  institutions  under  it,  as  "the 
present  evil  world,"  dispensation  or  epoch.*  Moreover, 
we  are  informed  that  the  present  dominion  of  evil  has 
not  always  existed,  but  that  it  was  preceded  by  a  still 
different  dispensation  or  epoch,  spoken  of  as  "the  world 
that  was  "  before  the  flood,  which  also  had  a  heavens, 
or  spiritual  ruling  power,  and  an  earth,  or  condition  of 
men  subject  to  that  spiritual  dominion. 

The  three  "worlds"  mentioned  by  Peter  (2  Pet.  3:6, 
7,  13)  designate  these  three  great  epochs  of  time.  In 
each  God's  plan  with  reference  to  men  has  a  distinct 
and  separate  outline,  yet  each  is  but  a  part  of  the  one. 
great  plan  which,  when  complete,  will  exhibit  the  divine 
♦See  Studies  IN  THE  Scriptures,  Vol.  I.,  Chap.  4.  (loi) 


I02  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

wisdom,  justice,  love  and  power,  to  the  wonder  and  ad- 
miration of  all  his  creatures. 

Since  that  first  ' '  world ' '  (or  order  of  things)  passed 
away  at  the  time  of  the  flood,  it  follows  that  it  must 
have  been  a  different  order  from  the  present,  and  hence 
that  the  prince  of  this  present  evil  world  was  not  tlie 
prince  of  that  epoch  which  preceded  this,  however  wide- 
ly Satan's  influence  was  then  exerted. 

.  Several  Scriptures  throw  light  on  God's  dealings 
during  that  first  dispensation,  and  give  clearer  insight 
into  his  plan  as  a  whole.  The  thought  suggested  by 
these  is  that  the  first  "world  (the  dispensation  before 
the  flood)  was  under  the  supervision  and  special  minis- 
tration of  certain  holy  angels  who  were  permitted  to  do 
what  they  could  and  desired  to  do  to  rule  and  recovei 
the  fallen  race  which,  because  of  sin,  needed  a  govern* 
ment  other  than  its  own. 

That  angels  were  the  rulers,  of  that  epoch  is  not 
only  indicated  by  all  references  to  that  period,  but  may 
be  reasonably  inferred  from  the  Apostle's  remark  when 
contrasting  the  present  dispensation  with  the  past  one 
and  the  future  one.  He  endeavors  to  show  both  the 
righteousness  and  the  enduring  character  of  the  future 
rulership  of  the  world,  saying,  "The  world  to  come 
hath  he  no*  put  in  subjection  to  the  angels."  No,  it  is 
put  under  the  control  of  our  Lord  Jesus  and  his  joint- 
heirs,  and  hence  it  shall  not  only  be  more  righteous  than 
the  present  rule  of  Satan,  but  it  shall  be  more  successful 
than  was  the  previous  rule  by  the  angels. — Heb.  2:2,  5. 

In  their  original  estate  all  the  angels,  it  seems,  pos- 
sessed the  ability  to  appear  in  earthly  forms.  Thus, 
Satan  appeared  to  Eve  as  a  serpent,  or  acting  through  a 
serpent     Other  angels  frequently  appeared  as  men,  thus 


spirits  in  Prison^  103 

performing  their  ministry,  appearing  or  disappearing, 
as  the  work  demanded. 

It  was  at  this  time,  it  seems,  that  the  fall  of  some 
of  the  angels  occurred.  It  is  a  common  supposition, 
tho  we  think  without  foundation,  that  the  fall  of  SaJ^an's 
associates,  the  fallen  angels,  occurred  before, man's  crea- 
tion. We  are  told  that  Satan  was  a  murderer  (man- 
killer)  from  the  beginning.  (Jno.  8:44.)  Certainly  not 
the  beginning  of  his  own  existence,  for  every  creation 
coming  from  God's  hand  is  perfect;  nor  can  we  think 
any  other  beginning  referred  to  than  man's  beginning, 
in  Eden.  But,  so  far  as  we  are  informed,  he  was  then 
alone  and  had  no  followers  or  angels. 

The  ambition  of  Satan,  one  of  the  mighty  angels, 
to  become  a  ruler,  seems  to  have  developed  as  he  beheld 
the  first  human  pair  with  their  procreative  powers,  and 
the  grand  possibilities  of  an  extended  dominion  through 
their  posterity.  He  probably  reasoned  that,  if  he  could 
obtain  the  control  of  this  man  he  would  have  the  do- 
minion over  all  his  offspring,  and  be  in  power  and  in- 
fluence above  others — a  rival  of  Jehovah  himself;  and 
his  growing  ambition  said,  ^ '  I  will  be  lihe  the  Most 
High." — Isa.  14: 14. 

Successful  in  contaminating  the  stream  at  its  source, 
Satan  gained  a  great  influence  over  the  race;  but  his 
power  over  them  was  limited  because  of  the  competition 
of  the  great  company  of  angels  who,  as  guardians,  in- 
structed and  ruled  mankind  for  a  time  in  harmony  with 
the  will  of  God.  But  man's  corruption  was  contagious, 
and  eventually  sonie  of  these  angelic  rulers  fell  victims 
to  the  plague  of  sin,  and  left  their  own  habitation,  or 
condition  as  spiritual  beings,  keeping  not  their  first  or 
original  estate.     They  misused  the  powers  which  they 


I04  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

possessed,  of  assuming  a  human  form,  and  became  of 
a  reprobate  and  licentious  mind,  copying  after  degen- 
erate man,  and  started  a  new  race  of  men  in  the  world, 
as  our  text  affirms. — Gen.  6:2-4. 

[This  Scripture  is  applied  by  some  to  two  classes 
of  men.  One  class,  more  righteous  than  the  other,  are 
supposed  to  be  here  called  "sons  of  God."  But  such 
a  position  is  untenable;  for  it  is  not  a  sin  for  one  man 
to  take  for  a  wife  another  mail's  daughter.  Marriage 
among  men  is  never  in  the  Scriptures  condemned  as 
sinful.  On  the  contrar}^  it  was  ordained  of  God,  and 
has  alwaj^s  had  his  sanction.  (Gen.  2:24;  Heb.  13:4.) 
Our  Lord  attested  his  approval  by  his  presence  at  the 
marriage  in  Cana.  (Jno.  2:1-11.)  Neither  is  the  propa- 
gation of  the  race,  under  proper  conditions,  condemned 
as  sinful.  God  commanded  it,  that  the  earth  might  be 
filled  with  a  race  of  beings  generated  from  one  pair,  and 
in  order  that  subsequently  the  redemption  of  the  race 
might  be  secured  by  the  obedience  and  sacrifice  'of  one 
— Christ.  (Gen.  1:28;  Rom.  5:19.)  However,  those  to 
whom  the  Lord  has  granted  a  knowledge  of  his  truth 
sometimes  forego  marriage,  as  they  deny  themselves 
many  other  earthly  rights  and  privileges  ' '  for  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven's  sake"  (Matt.  19:12),  if  they  consider 
that  thereby  a  more  efficient  service  may  be  rendered  to 
the  Lord. 

Again,  if  it  were  merely  a  union  of  two  classes  of 
the  same  race,  why  should  the  ofispring  be  specially 
called  ' '  men  of  renown  V  If  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked  marry  to-day,  are  their  children  therefore  giants 
or  mightier  or  more  renowned  men?     Surely  not!] 

After  a  deterioration  of  several  hundred  years,  man- 
kind had  lost  much  of  the  original  vigor  and  perfection 


spirits  in  Prison,  105 

of  mind  and  body;  but  with  the  angels  it  was  different: 
their  powers  were  still  perfect  and  unimpaired.  Hence 
it  is  clear  that  their  children  would  partake  of  that  vi- 
tality and  much  more  resemble  the  first  perfect  man 
than  those  around  them,  among  whom  they  would  be 
giants  both  in  physical  and  mental  strength. 

Those  angels  which  ke'pi  not  their  first  condition, 
but  sought  the  level  of  sinful  men,  and  left  their  own 
habitation,  or  spiritual  condition,  God  placed  in  age-last- 
ing chains.  That  is,  God  restrained  or  limited  their 
powers,  taking  from  them  the  power  and  privilege  of 
appearing  in  an  earthly  form,  human  or  other.  Hence, 
tho  we  know  that  they  did  thus  appear  before  the  flood, 
there  is  not  one  instance  recorded  in  which  they  have 
been  able  to  free  themselves  from  this  restraint  or  chain 
since.  On  the  contrary,  the  angels  who  left  not  their 
first  estate  are  not  so  restrained,  and  have  appeared  fre- 
quently as  men,  as  a  flame  of  fire,  as  a  pillar  of  cloud, 
etc. ,  as  recorded  in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
Scriptures. 

Having  become  depraved  in  their  tastes,  and  being 
given  over  to  a  reprobate  mind,  and  debarred  from  all 
association  with  God  and  his  works  and  plan,  these  fal- 
len angels  have  no  longer  any  pleasure  in  things  on  the 
spiritual  plane,  but  crave  association  with  depraved 
mankind  and  a  participation  with  men  in  sin.  How 
wise  and  kind  the  Almighty  hand  which  has  restrained 
their  power  and  influence  over  men  by  preventing  their 
personal  intercourse!  Now,  they  may  indeed  enter  and 
act  through  any  who  i7ivite  their  companionship,  as 
spirit  mediums,  but  no  more  can  they  do.  Thus  far 
shalt  thou  go,  saith  the  Almighty,  but  no  further.  This 
is  the  explanation  of  what  is  known  as  Sn^)iritismo 


io6  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

Some  of  this  class,  possessed  by  devils,  our  Lord 
and  his  disciples  met  in  their  ministry.  Out  of  one  he 
cast  a  legion  of  devils.  (Mark  5:1-15.)  Anxious  in  some 
manner  to  become  associated  with  humanity,  yet  unable 
to  assume  human  form  because  restrained,  when  they 
found  a  man  willing  to  have  such  company,  a  legion 
crowded  into  him,  thereby  making  him  a  maniac.  Even 
when  they  perceived  that  the  Lord  would  release  the 
man  from  their  possession,  they  in  despair  requested  as 
a  favor  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  inhabit  and  use 
the  bodies  of  a  herd  of  swine  near  by.  But  the  swine 
were  crazed  thereby,  and  madly  rushed  into  the  sea. 

Jude  (6,  7)  giv^s  conclusive  evidence  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  clearly  shows  the  nature  of  the  sin  for  which 
the  fallen  angels  were  condemned  and  restrained,  when, 
after  mentioning  the  angels  who  sinned,  he  says,  '  'Even 
as  Sodom  and  Gommorrah,  .  .  .  in  like  manner  giving 
themselves  over  to  fornication  and  going  after  strange 
flesh."  That  God  i3rohibits  any  mixture  or  blending 
of  natures,  and  designs  that  each  should  keep  its  ov\^n 
original  or  first  estate  is  clearly  taught  by  this  passage 
and  also  by  Lev.  18:23;  20:15,  16.  And  that  our  race 
as  it  exists  to-day,  coming  through  Noah,  is  purely 
Adamic  stock,  and  contains  no  mixture,  is  shown  by 
the  expression — ''These  are  the  generations  of  Noah: 
Noah  was  a  just  man  and  perfect  in  his  generation, ' ' — ^.  e. , 
not  contaminated  in  the  manner  before  described.  — 
Gen.  6  : 9. 

Glancing  back,  then,  we  see  the  first  epoch  under 
angelic  control,  the  inability  of  those  angels  to  lift  man 
out  of  his  fallen  condition,  and  the  debasing  influence 
of  man's  continued  degradation  ujDon  some  of  those 
angelSo     The  angels  were  utterly  unable  to  accomplish 


spirits  in  Prison,  107 

the  great  work  of  man's  recovery.  Doubtless  they  were 
anxious  to  do  it,  for  they  sang  and  shouted  for  joy  at 
his  creation.  God  let  them  try  it,  and  it  was  doubtless 
nart  of  their  education,  trial  and  discipline,  but  they 
failed.  Some  joined  the  ranks  of  evil,  while  the  rest 
stood  by  powerless  to  arrest  the  terrible  course  of  sin. 
Later  we  find  the  good  angels  still  interested,  desiring 
to  look  into  the  plan  which  God  has  since  been  working 
out  through  Christ,  and  ever  ready  to  do  his  bidding  in 
our  service,  (i  Pet.  i:  12.)  Thus  was  proven  to  both 
men  and  angels  the  futility  of  angelic  power  to  save  men. 

In  the  beginning  of  "this  present  evil  world,'* 
notwithstanding  Noah's  endeavor  to  serve  God  and  to 
teach  his  posterity  to  follow  his  example,  and  the  exhi- 
bition of  God's  judgment  in  the  deluge,  the  tendency 
was  still  downward;  and  soon  the  wickedness  of  Sodom 
brought  its  destruction.  Mankind  were  bent  on  an  evil 
course,  and  God  permitted  them  to  take  it.  Then  the 
ministration  of  angels,  except  to  the  few  of  God's  chil- 
dren, was  withdrawn;  and  now,  instead  of  sending 
heavenly  messengers  to  declare  to  us  his  will,  he  has 
given  us  his  Word,  "that  the  man  of  God  may  be 
thoroughly  furnished  [thereby]  unto  all  good  works." 
— 2  Tim.  3:  16,  17. 

Ever  since  the  fall,  God's  plan  has  been  gradually 
and  quietly  developing,  and  in  due  time  will  bear  abund- 
ant fruit  unto  eternal  life;  and  eventually  it  will  be  de- 
monstrated to  all  his  creatures  that  God's  plan  is  the 
only  one  which  could  accomplish  the  great  work.  It 
selects  and  tests  first  of  all,  the  "little  flock,"  the  Royal 
Priesthood,  and  then  reaches  out  to  lift  up  and  restore 
all  others  willing  to  accept  life  everlasting  upon  God's 
conditions. 


£o8  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

"the  truth  shall  make  you  free. 


The  entrance  of  thy  Word  giveth  light.'' — Psa,  119:186, 

IF   WE  knew  that  'neath  the  snow-flakes, 
O'er  the  wintry  landscape  strewn. 
Joyous  buds  of  Spring  were  swelling 

To  dispel  the  "Winter's  gloom, 
Could  the  season's  darksome  shadows 

That  along  our  pathway  lie 
E'er  obscure  the  beams  of  brightness 
That  betoken  Summer's  nigh? 

If  we  knew  that  every  shadow 

Heralds  but  the  coming  light, 
That  the  sunshine  seems  the  brighter 

When  compared  with  shades  of  night. 
Would  the  troubles  that  oppress  us, 

Making  mind  and  spirit  sore, 
Be  as  now  so  soul-distressing? 

Could  we  not  endure  the  more? 

Tho  to-day  the  soil  be  thirsty, 

'Tis  the  morrow  brings  the  rain; 
And  the  showers  so  refreshing 

Bid  the  flowers  live  again. 
So  it  is  with  human  sorrow, 

Parched  with  trouble's  fiercest  glowj 
Leading  to — though  hard  the  lesson — 

Joys  we  else  could  never  know. 

Let  us  humbly  learn  the  lesson 

Taught  by  landscape,  shower  ana  tomb 
That  tho  skies  be  overshadowed. 

Sunbeams  may  disperse  the  gloom  ;^ 
For  no  matter  what  the  sorrows 

That  may  hide  the  sun  to-day, 
dlill  behind  the  clouds,  concealing, 

Shines  his  warmest,  brightest  ray. 

-A.  J,    MORRJSr 


PREACHING    TO 

"SPIRITS    IN    PRISON.'' 


*'Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  theun* 
just,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh  but  quickened  in  the  spirit.  By  which  also  [in  addition 
to  this  work  done  for  us]  he  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison; 
which  sometime  [before]  were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long- 
suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah."— 1  Pet.  3: 18-20. 
See  Diaglott,  footnote. 

^p\  SATISFACTORY  interpretation  of  this  Scripture 
y^^^^  has  long  been  sought,  and  but  few  have  found 
a  solution  perfectly  consistent  and  satisfying  even  to 
themselves.  But  in  view  of  the  truth  gleaned  from  the 
suggestions  ofthe  preceding  article,  the  above  statements 
of  the  Apostle  Peter  become  luminous. 

The  two  views  of  this  passage  commonly  held  we 
state  first,  and  then  give  our  own  view  of  it. 

The  most  common  view  is,  that  during  the  time 
that  Jesus  was  entombed  he  was  off  on  a  missionary 
tour  preaching  to  the  antediluvian  sinners  who  were 
suffering  torture  in  a  supposed  place  called  hell. 

If  its  advocates  would  consider  it,  they  would  find, 
that  their  interpretation  favors  a  view  of  future  proba- 
tion for  the  antediluvians,  a  thing  which  they  strenu- 
ously oppose.  For  if  Christ  preached  to  them  it  must 
have  been  for  some  purpose.  Surely  it  was  not  merely 
to  mock  them.  Consequently  he  must  have  preached  a 
message  of  hope — a  part  of  his  blessed  ' '  good  tidings 
of  great  joy."  And  if  there  is  a  future  for  the  antedi^ 
(109) 


no  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

luvians,  why  not  accept  our  position  as  correct — that  in 
Christ  ^^  all  the  families  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed?" 

This  is  the  objection  which  consistency  would  urge 
against  this  view,  from  the  standpoint  of  those  who 
hold  it.  But  if  we  view  it  from  the  Scriptural  stand- 
point, and  with  the  correct  idea  of  death  and  "  hell," 
we  must  reason  that  if  Jesus  were  really  dead  during 
those  three  days,  as  the  Apostles  declare,  then  he  could 
do  no  declaiming;  for  ''the  dead  know  not  any  thing" 
(Eccl.  9:5),  and  "there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor 
knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave."  (Eccl.  9: 10.) 
Second,  If  Jesus  had  been  an  exception  to  the  rule,  and 
could  have  preached,  the  antediluvians  could  not  have 
heard;  for  certainly  they  have  no  wisdom,  nor  knowl- 
edge, in  the  grave.  Hence  this  view  is  found  generally 
unsatisfactory  and  as  well  unscriptural.* 

The  second  view,  and  the  one  which  seemed  most 
reasonable  to  us  until  the  considerations  of  the  preced- 
ing article  threw  light  upon  this  scripture  also,  is  to  refer 
the  preaching  to  that  which  Noah  did  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  God  to  the  antediluvians,  who  at 
this  time  were  imprisoned  in  the  great  prison-house,  the 
tomb.  The  objection  to  this  view  is,  that  the  preaching 
was  not  to  men,  nor  to  the  spirits  of  men,  but  to  '  ^spirits j ' ' 
spirit  beings;  and  the  preaching  was  not  done  by  Noah, 
nor  by  the  spirit  of  God,  nor  before  the  flood,  but  after 
they  had  been  chained.  And  the  preaching,  we  hold, 
was  in  pantomime — by  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
our  Lord. 

It  seems  very  clear,  therefore,  that  the  spirits  are 

those  spirit  beings  who  were  disobedient  during  the  days 

of  Noah,  and  whom  God  therefore  imprisoned  or  re- 

*  See  ^ 'What  Say  the  Scriptures  about  Hell  ?"— advertisina  paga 


spirits  in  Prison.  in 

strained  from  some  of  their  former  liberties  and  privi- 
leges, even  '  'those  angels  who  kept  not  their  own  prin- 
cipality, but  left  their  own  habitation  [or  normal  con- 
dition] .  He  has  kept  them  in  perpetual  chains  [re- 
straints], under  thick  darkness,  for  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day."- — Jude  6,  DiaglotL 

This  interpretation  seems  to  meet  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case  thus  far.  Now.  we  inquire.  In  what 
way  could  oui  Lord  preach  to  those  spirits  during  the 
time  he  was  dead  ?  We  answer  tliat  it  is  not  so  stated. 
It  was  by  the  facts  that  he  preached,  as  we  sometimes 
say,  '  ^actions  speak  louder  than  words. ' '  It  was  by  his 
sufferings,  death  and  resurrection  that  the  preaching 
was  done.  Thus,  as  Jesus  went  from  step  to  step  in  his 
work,  his  course  was  preaching  a  good  sermon  to  those 
angels  who  once  had  been  placed  in  control  of  man,  and 
had  themselves  fallen,  instead  of  lifting  up  mankind. 
In  Jesus  they  saw  exemplified  obedience  even  unto 
death,  and  its  reward — resurrection  to  spiritual  being  of 
the  divine  nature.  Such  was  the  great  text;  and  the  les- 
son from  it  is  stated  by  the  Apostle  ( i  Pet.  3:22),  viz. ,  that 
Jesus  is  now  highly  exalted  and  has  been  given  a  name 
(title)  above  every  name;  that  he  is  "gone  into  heaven, 
and  is  at  the  right  hand  of  God  [the  position  of  highest 
favor] ,  angels  and  authorities  and  powers  being  made 
subject  to  him.'' "^  They  knew  Jesus  before  he  left  the 
glory  of  the  heavenly  condition  and  became  a  man. 
They  knew  the  object  of  his  self-sacrifice  as  a  man.  They 
saw  him  obedient  even  unto  death,  and  then  that  his 
high  exaltation  came  as  a  reward.  (Phil.  2:9.)  They 
must  have  felt  keenly  their  loss  through  disobedience, 
being  cut  off  from  communion  with  God,  restrained  as  . 
unworthy  of  former  liberty  and  communion  with  the 


212  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

^arer  minded  of  mankind,  and  their  own  future  an  un^ 
solved  mystery.  We  can  but  imagine  that  sorrow  and 
chagrin  filled  their  hearts,  as  they  contrasted  their  course 
of  disobedience  and  its  unhappy  results,  with  our  Lord's 
obedient  course  and  its  grand  results.  We  can  fancy  at 
least  some  of  them  saying.  Would  that  we  had  realized 
before,  as  fully  as  we  do  now,  the  wide  contrast  between 
the  results  of  obedience  and  disobedience.  Would  that 
we  might  have  another  trial:  with  our  increased  knowl- 
edge, our  course  would  be  very  different. 

A  clear  distinction  should  be  borne  in  mind,  as  bs' 
tween  Satan  and  these  angels.  Satan  evidently  sinned 
against  great  light,  so  that  infinite  wisdom  finds  no  place 
to  do  more  for  him,  and  his  ultimate  destruction  is 
clearly  predicted. — Heb.  2:  14. 

But  did  not  the  Lord,  in  Matt.  25:41,  declare  eternal 
torment  to  be  the  punishment  awaiting  these  fallen 
spirit  beings  ?  No:  this  scripture  cannot  be  used  as  an 
argument  against  a  hope  for  a  probation  for  the  bound 
or  imprisoned  spirits;  for  though,  by  force  of  circum- 
stances and  restraint  from  any  other  service,  they  are 
now  Satan's  angels — messengers  or  servants — yet  they 
may  not  always  continue  such,  if  an  opportunity  be 
granted  them  to  return  to  God's  service  and  be  angels 
of  God.  This  passage  relates  to  the  "lake  of  fire "  or 
destruction  (Rev.  20: 10),^  into  which,  at  the  close  of 
the  Millennial  age,  are  to  be  cast  all  who  are  out  of 
harmony  with  God.  Satan  will  be  of  those  cast  into 
that  everlasting  destruction,  and  with  him  all  who  do 
unrighteousness  or  have  pleasure  therein; — all  of  whom, 
angelic  spirits  or  men  on  his  side,  are  reckoned  to  be  his 
angels  or  messengers.    All  evil-doers  shall  be  cut  off  from 

*  See  "What  Say  the  Scriptures  about  Hell?'' 


spirits  in  Prison.  .113 

life.  To  cut  off  such,  and  such  only,  was  God's  plan 
from  the  beginning.  The  wilfully  wicked  and  not  the 
merely  ignorant,  mislead,  blinded  or  deceived  are  meant 
when  it  is  said,  ''All  the  wicked  will  God  destroy, ^^ 

THE  PROBATION  OF- ANGELS. 


Will  those  ** spirits  in  prison,"  ** those  angels 
^hich  kept  not  their  first  estate, ' '  and  who  received  such 
a  powerful  though  silent  testimony  and  lesson  from  the 
ministry,  death  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  ever 
have  an  opportunity  to  profit  by  those  lessons  ?  WiU 
they  ever  have  an  opportunity  to  repent  of  their  sin, 
leave  Satan's  service  and  return  to  loyalty  to  God? 

If  at  first  we  thought  the  Scriptures  were  silent  on 
the  subject,  we  have  found  that  to  be  a  mistake;  and 
when  God  speaks  we  may  reasonably  conclude  there  is 
something  profitable  for  us  to  hear.  Hence,  let  us  give 
ear  that  we  may  learn  whatever  our  Father  deems  ex- 
pedient to  communicate. 

Jude  (verse  6)  informs  us  that  those  angels  which 
committed  fornication  and  went  after  strange  flesh, 
^^also,^^  ^Hn  like  manner,^ ^  to  the  Sodomites  (verse  7), 
God  is  keeping  under  restraint  (as  a  penalty  or  punish- 
ment) ' '  unto  [or  until]  the  judgment  of  the  great  day. ' ' 
The  ' '  great  day  ' '  is  the  Millennial  Day,  and  mankind 
is  also  waiting  for  this  judgment  (krisis — trial).  The 
Apostle  Peter's  testimony  is  in  harmony  (2  Pet.  2:4); 
and  St.  Paul  settles  the  matter  that  these  fallen  and  now 
imprisoned  spirit  beings,  as  well  as  mankind,  will  have 
a  trial  under  the  reign  of  Christ  and  the  Church,  ''the 
Kingdom  of  God ' '  in  exalted  power.  Speaking  of  the 
impropriety  of  the  saints  appealing  to  earthly  Courts  of 


114  Wkaf  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

Justice  for  adjustment  of  difficulties  between  themselves, 
he  says, — ^'  Do  you  not  know  that  the  saints  shall  judge 
the  world  ?  .  .  .  Know  ye  not  that  we  shall  judge  angels  f  * 
—I  Cor.  6  : 1-4. 

The  Greek  word  here  rendered  *' judge,"  is  hrlno^ 
of  the  same  root  as  ^T^s^s,  rendered  "judgment"  in 
Jude  7,  and  signifies,  to  govern^  to  test ; — to  mete  out  to 
each  individual  blessings  or  stripes,  according  to  the 
merit  of  his  course  when  brought  fully  into  the  light  of 
truth,  and  under  all  the  blessings  of  the  reign  of  Christ. 
Thus  it  is  seen  that  it  will  be  part  of  the  work  of  the 
Christ  to  rule  over  and  direct  both  human  and  angelic 
sinners — "to  judge  the  world  "  of  fallen  men,  now  re- 
strained in  death,  from  which  they  have  been  redeemed, 
and  also  to  judge  fallen  angels,  spirits,  restrained  alive 
until  this  judgment  or  trial  of  the  Great  Millennial  Day, 
when  the  Church  under  the  headship  of  her  Lord  shall 
try  their  cause  also,  giving  everlasting  life  and  favor  to 
those  who  shall  then  prove  themselves  worthy  of  it,  and 
everlasting  destruction  to  those  proved  under  full  light 
and  opportunity  to  be  unworthy. 

Besides  these  references  to  the  subject,  we  find  fre- 
quent references  to  a  work  Christ  is  to  do  in  subjecting 
heavenly,  or  spiritual,  as  well  as  human  powers,  after 
the  Church  has  been  selected  and  the  work  of  judging 
and  blessing  is  commenced.  For  instance,  we  read 
(Eph.  1:10)  "In  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of 
times,  to  reestablish  [under  God's  dominion  and  law] 
all  things  in  Christ  [the  disordered  things]  that  are  in 
heaven  [spiritual]  and  on  earth  [human']  in  him." — 
Douay  translation.  Again,  '  'In  him  it  hath  well  pleased 
the  Father  that  all  fulness  should  dwell,  and  through 
him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself,  making  peace 


spirits  in  Prison,  115 

by  the  blood  of  his  cross,  both  as  to  the  things  on  ear^A, 
and  the  things  in  heaverC — earthly  and  spiritual  trans- 
gressors.— CoL  1:20. — Dowiy. 

In  Eph.  3:8-10,  it  is  shown  that  the  length  and 
breadth  of  God's  redemptive  plan  has  been  hidden  by 
God  until  the  Gospel  age,  when  the  apostles  were  com= 
missioned  to  declare  to  men  the  conditions  upon  which 
they  might  become  sharers  with  Christ  in  the  execution 
of  God's  loving  plan;  and  the  intent  is,  ultimately,  to 
have  all  the  heavenly  or  spiritual  beings  know,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  Church,  the  boundless  wealth 
that  is  in  God's  great  gift — his  Son — and  the  different 
methods  and  steps  his  wisdom  marked  out  for  all  his 
creatures.  We  quote  the  passage  from  the  Diaglott 
translation :  — 

**Tome,  the  very  lowest  of  the  saints,  was  this 
favor  given — to  announce  among  nations  the  glad  tid 
ings — the  boundless  wealth  of  the  Anointed  One:  even  to 
enlighten  all  as  to  what  is  the  [method  of]  administra- 
tion [or  operation]  of  that  secret  [plan]  which  has  been 
concealed  from  the  ages  by  that  God  who  created  all 
things;  in  order  that  now  [henceforth]  may  be  made 
known  to  governments  and  the  authorities  in  the  heaven- 
lies  J  through  [the  instrumentality  of]  the  congregation 
[the  Church]  the  much  diversified  wisdom  o£  God^  accord- 
ing to  a  plan  of  the  ages,  .  ,  .  which  he  purposed  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

It  would  appear,  then,  that  God's  bountiful  plan 
and  diversified  wisdom  contain  something  of  interest 
to  the  angels,  and,  if  of  interest  to  any,  of  special  in- 
terest to  those  confined,  or  restrained,  and  awaiting  a 
trial  in  the  judgment  of  the  great  Millennial  day.  They 
me  the  samta.  and  seek  to  look  into  things  isYealed  by 


1 16  What  Say  the  Scriptures  f 

the  Spirit  and  Word  to  these;  but  in  no  other  way  can 
they  learn  of  their  future^  or  what  provision  has  been 
made  for  themselves  in  the  boundless  wealth  and  di- 
versified wisdom  of  God,  because,  as  here  stated,  it  is  ta 
be  *  *  made  known  "   "  through  the  Church. ' ' 

These  condemned  angels  have  been  learning  much 
since  the  first  text  and  sermon; — not  only  the  lesson  of 
our  Lord's  obedience  and  exaltation  (i  Pet.  3  :  18-20, 
I  Tim.  3:  16),  but  also  of  his  followers;  for  we  read  that 
**i(;g  are  made  a  spectacle  both  to  angels  and  to  men.''' 
(i  Cor.  4:9 — Diaglott.)  The  spectacle  and  lesson  are 
to  both  men  and  angels  for  the  reason  that  both  men 
and  angels  will  shortly  be  judged  by  the  Church,  and 
blessed  by  it,  if  found  obedient  and  worthy  of  life. 
When  the  testimony  in  due  time  is  given,  all  things, 
both  in  heaven  (the  spiritual  condition)  and  on  earth 
(the  human),  shall  bowto  Jehovah's  Anointed  and  con- 
fess him  their  Lord  and  Ruler;  and  those  who  refuse 
obedience  to  his  righteous  authority  shall  be  cut  off  from 
life, — destroyed  as  unworthy  of  life. —  Isa.  45:23;  Rom. 
14:  11;  Acts  3:  23. 

The  angels  that  sinned  in  the  days  of  Noah  have 
had  a  bitter  experience  since:  no  doubt  death  would 
have  been  preferable  in  many  respects.  Cut  off  from 
association  with  good  angels,  and  placed  in  companion- 
ship of  each  other  and  Satan,  without  God  and  having 
no  hope,  they  must  have  had  a  terrible  experience  with 
sin's  demoralizing  effects,  while  their  observation  of  man- 
kind, dying  on  account  of  sin,  would  lead  them  to  sur- 
mise that  death  might  ultimately  be  their  portion  also. 
That  such  was  the  fear  of  these  unclean  spirits  is  evi- 
denced by  the  protest  of  one  whom  the  Lord  cast  out: 
'''Art  thoB  come  to  destroy  us?"     (Mark  2  c  34;  Luke 


'if\y>t\  Matt  S:  29.)  But  this  no  more  proves  that  their 
suppositions  were  correct,  than  the  belief  of  millions  of 
professed  Christians,  that  nine- tenths  of  humanity  will 
be  everlastingly  tormented,  proves  that  to  be  so.  The 
fact  is,  we  find  that  Satan,  who  taught  men  thus  to 
'iilaspheme  God's  character  by  his  misrepresentation  of 
the  Divine  plan,  was  the  master  and  chief  over  these 
cast-down  spirits;  and  evidently  he  has  misrepresented 
Jehovah's  plan  to  the  imprisoned  spirits  as  he  has  to 
men.     He  is  the  father  of  lies. 

Neither  can  we  forget  the  respectful  conduct  of  the 
fallen  spirits  toward  our  Lord  and  his  apostles  and  the 
message  they  delivered;  far  more  respectful  indeed  than 
that  of  the  strictest  sect  of  the  Jewish  Church,  While 
the  latter  scoffed  and  said,  **  Is  not  this  Jesus,  the  son 
of  Joseph  ?  "  (John  6: 42),  the  fallen  spirits  exclaimed, 
''Thou  art  the  Son  of  God."  (Mark  3: 11.)  While  the 
former  said,  '  *  Thou  hast  a  devil  and  art  mad, ' '  the 
latter  said,  "  I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the  holy  one  of 
God."— Mark  1:24. 

The  ''legion,"  which  had  crazed  the  Gadarene, 
worshiped  Christ,  acknowledging  him  to  be  the  "Sou 
of  the  Most  High  God."— Mark  5:6,  7. 

While  they  respected  the  true,  they  opposed  the 
false,  saying  to  some  who  pretended  to  exorcise  them—- 
"'Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know,  but  who  are  ye? 
And  the  man  in  whom  the  evil  spirit  was,  leaped  on 
them  and  overcame  them." — Acts  19: 15. 

Both  Jews  and  Gentiles  beat  and  stoned  the  mes- 
3engers  of  God,  when  they  came  among  them  with  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation;  but  some  of  these  fallen  angels 
seemed  desirous  of  spreading  the  glad  tidings.  One 
followed  the  Apostle  Paul  and  Silas,   saying,   '^  These 


i  i8  W}M  Say  ike  Scripiure-%  f 

men  are  the  servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  which  sho\» 
unto  us  [angels  and  men]  the  way  of  salvation.*' — 
Acts  i6 :  17. 

THE  BASIS  OF  HOPE  FOR  THE  FALLEN   AITGEIA, 


But  an  important  question  now  arises.  The  Script- 
ures show  us  that  human  hope  centers  in  the  fact  that  a 
ransom-price  was  given  for  Adam's  sin;  but  what  is  the 
basis  of  hope  for  these  fallen  angels  ?  On  what  ground 
can  they  now  be  granted  a  trial  with  a  hope  for  ever- 
lasting life?    Did  our  Lord  Jesus  die  for  them? 

We  are  not  so  informed.  The  ransom-sacrifice  was 
human,  a  ransom  for  men.  "Verily,''  says  Paul,  *'he 
took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,"  etc.  (Heb.  2  % 
16. )  Furthermore,  the  angels  were  not  under  condem- 
nation  to  deaih^  and  hence  have  never  lost  their  life  in 
any  measure,  and  need  no  ransom  from  death.  It  was 
because  the  sentence  of  death  had  passed  upon  men  that 
a  ransom  was  necessary  in  order  that  we  might  regain 
life.  Those  angels  which  kept  not  their  first  estate  were 
condemned  not  to  death,  but  to  restraint  and  confine- 
mentf  until  the  day  of  trial,  when  God  will  judge  both 
men  and  angels  in  righteousness  by  that  man  whom  he 
hath  ordained.  (Acts  17:  31.)  They  are  therefore  nw- 
dergoing  <Aar  pe2ia%  as  truly  as  man  is  suffering  his 
'penalty y  tho-  the  penalties  be  very  different  in  kind,— 
'*  according  to  the  much  diversified  wisdom  of  God. " 

And  yet  these  fallen  angels  had  a  great  interest  in 
our  Lord's  sacrifice;  for  tho  they  were  not  being  re 
deemed,  bought,   by  the  precious  blood,  as  was  man, 
and  did  not  need  to  be,  not  being  under  condemnation 
to  death,  yet  their  hope  centered  in  the  power  with 


spirits  in  Prison,  119 

which  he  should  be  rewarded  by  his  exaltation  to  the 
divine  nature,  in  consequence  of  his  obedience  even  unto 
death.  He  is  now  Lord  and  judge  of  both  the  living  and 
the  dead; — the  dead  and  dying  world  of  mankind,  and 
the  living  angels,  never  condemned  to  death. — Rom.  14:9. 

Again,  if  we  have  a  correct  view  of  the  matter,  that 
these  angels  were  largely  tempted  and  seduced  by  evil  in 
men,  which  had  become  very  great  (Gen.  6:5),  we  may 
see  how  the  reconciliation  accomplished  by  the  blood  of 
the  cross  for  man  could  apply  to  and  cancel  both  direct 
and  indirect  guilt,  if  it  resulted /rom  the  one  man's  dis- 
obedience. So  that  now  we  are  assured  in  the  words  of 
the  Apostle,  "It  pleased  the  Father,  .  .  .  having  made 
peace  [propitiation — satisfaction]  through  the  blood  of 
his  cross,  by  him  to  reconcile  unto  himself  all  things 
[out  of  harmony]  ; .  .  .  whether  things  in  mr^/i  [human], 
or  things  in  heaven  [angelic] . " — Col.  1:20. 

These  things  are  written  that  ye  "may  be  able  to 
comprehend  with  all  saints  the  lengths  and  the  breadths, 
the  heights  and  the  depths,  and  to  appreciate  the  love 
of  Christ  which  passeth  all  understanding,"  and  that 
believing  ye  may  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable.  "Oh 
the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge of  God"— Eph,  3: 17,  18;  Rom.  11:33, 


WHAT  SAY  THE  SCRIPTURES 

ABOUT  HELL? 


AN   EXAMINATION    OF   EVERY   TEXT   OF    SCRIPTtTRE   IN    WHICH   THE 
WORD  "  HELL "'  IS  FOUND. 


A  CORRECT  understanding  of  the  subject  of  this  booklet  is  almost 
a  necessity  to  Christian  steadfastness.  For  centuries  it  has  been 
the  teaching  of  "  orthodoxy,"  of  all  shades,  that  God,  before  creat- 
ing man,  had  created  a  great  abyss  of  fire  and  terrors,  capable  of  con- 
taining all  the  billions  of  the  human  family  which  he  purposed  to 
bring  into  being;  that  this  abyss  he  had  named  "hell;"  and  that 
all  of  the  promises  and  threatenings  of  the  Bible  were  designed  to 
deter  as  many  as  possible  (a  "  little  flock  ")  from  such  wrong-doing 
as   would   make   this    awful   place   their   perpetual   home. 

While  glad  to  see  superstitions  fall,  and  truer  ideas  of  the  great, 
and  wise,  and  just,  and  loving  Creator  prevail,  we  are  alarmed  to 
notice  that  the  tendency  with  all  who  abandon  this  long  revered 
doctrine  is  toward  doubt,  scepticism,  infidelity.  Why  should  this  be 
the  case,  when  the  mind  is  merely  being  delivered  from  an  error? — ■ 
do  you  ask?  Because  Christian  people  have  so  long  been  taught 
that  the  foundation  for  this  awful  blasphemy  against  God's  character 
and  government  is  deeplaid  and  firmly  fixed  in  the  Word  of  God — 
the  Bible — and  consequently,  to  whatever  degree  their  belief  in  "  hell  " 
is  shaken,  to  that  extent  their  faith  in  the  Bible,  as  the  revelation  of 
the  true  God,  is  shaken  also; — so  that  those  who  have  dropped  their 
belief  in  a  "  hell,"  of  some  kind  of  endless  torment,  are  often  open 
infidels,   and   scofifers   at   God's   Word. 

Guided  by  the  Lord's  providence  to  a  realization  that  the  Bible 
has  been  slandered,  as  well  as  its  divine  Author,  and  that,  rightly 
understood,  it  teaches  _  nothing  on  this  subject  derogatory  to  God'g 
character  nor  to  an  intelligent  reason,  we  have  attempted  in  this 
booklet  to  lay  bare  the  Scripture  teaching  on  this  subject  that 
thereby  faith  in  God  and  his  Word  may  be  reestablished,  on  a  better, 
a  reasonable  foundation.  Indeed,  it  is  our  opinion  that  whoever  shall 
hereby  find  that  his  false  view  rested  upon  human  misconceptions  and 
misinterpretations  will,  at  the  same  time,  learn  to  trust  hereafter  less 
to  his  own  and  other  men's  imaginings,  and,  by  faith,  to  grasp  more 
firmly  the  Word  of  God,  which  is  able  to  make  wise  unto  salvation; 
and  on  this  mission,  under  God's  providence,  it  is  sent  forth. 

PRICE    10   CENTS    [sd.]    PER   COPY.— 88   PAGES. 

Special    wholesale    rates   to    colporteurs    and   those    who   desire   to   aid 
in  circulating  these  booklets  widely. 

ADDRESS  : — 

INTERNATIONAL 
BIBLE   STUDENTS   ASSOCIATION 

BROOKLVN,   LONDON,    MELBOURNE,    BARMEN-ELBERFBLD, 
OK.EBRO,   CHRISTIANIA 


Volume  I.  "Studies  in  the  Scriptures"  Series 


THINGS  YOU  OUGHT  TO  KNOW  AS 

CHRISTIAN  BIBLE  STUDENTS 

the;  SATISFACTORY  PROOFS  THAT 
The  Bible  is  a  Divine  Revelation — reasonable  and 
trustworthy,  revealing  a  systematic  Plan  full  cf  Jus- 
tice, Wisdom  and  I^ove.  "The  Key  of  Knowledge"  of 
the  Scriptures,  long  lost  is  found,  and  gives  God's 
faithful  people  access  to  the  "Hidden  Mystery."  — 
I^uke  11:52,  Col.  1:26. 

The  I<ord  Jesus  and  His  faithful  are  to  be  not  only 
priests  but  kin^s,  and  will  rei,!?n  over  the  earth. 
This  Kingdom  is  to  come  at  Christ's  Second  Advent. 
God's  Plan  is  to  select  and  save  the  Church  in  the 
Gospel  Age,  and  to  use  this  Church  in  blessing  the 
world  in  the  Millennium.    A  "rnnsom  for  all"  implies 
an  opportunity  to  all  for  restitution.     The  Day  of 
Judgment  is  1,000  years  long — the  world's  trial  day. 
"The  narrow  way"  of  self-sacrifice  will  cease  with 
this  Age. 

"The  highway"  of  righteousness  will  be  open  to  all 
the  redeemed  raee  in  the  Millennium.— Isa.  35:8,  9. 
"The  kingdoms  of  this  world"  are  but  for  an  ordained 
period   and   must   give   place   to  the  "Kingdom  of 
Heaven." 

God  has  permitted  evil  for  six  thousand  years  for  a 

wise  purpose.  \ 

These  subjects  any  many  others  of  deep  interest  to 

all  of  God's  people  are  discussed  fully  and  ia 

language  easy  of  comprehension  in     ,    ■ 


"THE  DIVINE  PLAN  OF  THE  AGES" 


(In  English,  German,  Swedish,  Dane-Norwegian, 
Italian,  French,  Greek,  Hungarian,  Spanish,  Polish, 
Hollandish,  Finnish,  Arabic,  Slovak,  Roumanian, 
Lettish.  Ukrainian,  Chinese,  Japanese  and  Korean; 
also  Braille,  for  the  blind). 

■416  PAGES — CLOTH  BOUND.  50  CBNTS,  POSTPAID  OR 
DBLIYBRED  BY  COLPORTEURS.  MAGAZINE  EDITION 
(BNG.  and  GER.)    10  CENTS  POSTPAID. 

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Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Volume  II.  "Studies  iu  the  Scriptures"  Series 


THINGS  YOU  WANT  TO  KNOW  AS 

CHRISTIAN  BIBLE  STUDENTS 


THERE  ARE  EVIDENCES  THAT 

Six  thousand  Years  from  Adam  ended  in  A.  D.  1872.  * 

The  Date  of  our  lyOrd's  Birth  was  October  B.  c.  2. 

The  Date  of  Annunciation  to  Rlary,  Dec,  25th,  B.  c.  3. 

The  Date  of  our  I<ord's  Baptism  was  October  a.  d.  29. 

The  Date  of  our  lyOrd's  Crucifixion,  April  a.  d.  33. 

The  "Seventy  Weeks"  of  Israel's  favor  ended  a.  d.  36. 

The  Jewish  Age  "Harvest"  was  40  years  a.  d.  30  to  70. 

The  Christian  Age  "Harvest"  is  its  parallel. 

The  Jewish  Jubilees  were  typical  of  the  "Times  af 

Restitution  of  all  Things."— Acts  3:19-21. 

The  Typical  Jubilees  mark  the  Date  of  their  Antitype. 

The  "Times  of  the  Gentiles"  ended  A.  d.  1914. 

The  Jewish  Age,  in  its  L,ength9.  its  Ceremonies,  etc., 

Typified  the  Realities  pf  the  Christian  Age  and  its 

lyength.  _ 

Elias  or  "Elijah  the  prophet"  was  a  Type.— How 

fulfilled. 

The  Anticdirist  has  come!— V/hat?    When?    Where? 

These  subjects  and  many  others  deeply  interesting 
to  "the  Household  of  Faith,"  and  "Meat  in  due 
season"  to  all  who  love  and  study  God's  Word,  can 
be  had  in 

*'THE  TIME  IS  AT  HAND'' 

(In  English,  German,  Swedish,  Finnish  and 
Dano-Norwegian. ) 

432  PAGES — CLOTH  BOUND,  50  CBNTS,  POSTPAID  OR 
DBLIYKRKD   BY    COLPORTBURS 

International  Bible  Students  Association 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Volume  III.  "Studies  in  the  Scriptures"  Series 


Reugious.Scient- 
iFic,  Historic 


fuurV  Iii-USTUOTI  nG 
THC  WoNoeaaF  flees. 


THINGS  YOU  OUGHT  TO  KNOW  AS 

CHRISTIAN   BIBLE    STUDENTS 


*■  DO  YOU   KNOW  THAT 

We  are  now  living  in. "the  Time  of  the  End"  of  this 
Gospel  Age? 

Our  Epoch  is  "  the  Day  of  God's  Preparation"  for  the 
Millennial  Age? 

The  "Days  of  Waiting"  are  ended  and  the  "Cleansing 
of  the  Sanctuary  "—the  Church— the  separating  of 
its  Wheat  and  Tares,  is  now  in  progress? 
This  is  the  reason  for  the  beginning  of  the  Rett^m  of 
Divine  Favcr  to  Fleshly  Israel — blinded  for  centuries 
—to  permit  the  gathering  of  aa  Elect  Class  from 
among  the  Gentiles? 

This  mvor  now  taking  shape  is  known  as  Zionism? 
Imifianuel's  Kingdom  is  now  being  established? 
The  Great  Pyramid  in  Egypt  is  a  Witness  to  all  these 
events  of  the  past  and  present— testifying  in  symbols? 
The  Pyramid's  Downward  Passage  under  "A  Draconis" 
symbolizes  the  course  of  Sin?  Its  First  Ascending 
Passage  symbolizes  the  Jewish  Age?  Its  Grand  Gallery 
symbolizes  the  Gospel  Age?  Its  Upper  Step  symbolizes 
the  approaching  period  of  tribulation  and  anarchy, 
*  'Judgments, ' '  upon  Christendom?  Its  King 's  Chamber 
the  Divine  Nature,  etc.,  of  the  Overcoming  Church— 
the  Christ,  Head  and  Body?  Its  Ante-Chamber  the 
Correction  in  Righteousness  of  the  "Great  Company" 
etc.?  Its  Queen's  Chamber  symbolizes  those  of  Israel 
and  the  world  who  eventually  attain  Restitution? 

All  these  inttresting  topics  with  ten  Pyramid  illus- 
trations can  be  had  in 

'*THY  KINGDOM  COME'* 

(English,  German,  Swedish,  Finnish,  Dano-Norwegian) 

432  PAGES— CLOTH  BOUND,  50  CBNTS,  POSTPAID  OR 
DELIVERED  BY  COLPORTEURS 

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Volume  IV.  "Studies  in  the  Scriptures"  Series 


''NONE  OF  THE  WICKED  WILL 
UNDERSTAND'^ 

BUT  "THE  WISE  SHAI,!,  UNDERSTAND"  THAT 
This  Gospel  Age  is  closing  with  a  '  'Day  of  Vengeance. ' ' 
It  will  affect  the  whole  world,  specially  Christendom. 
All  Political,  Social,  Financial  and  Religious  systems 
will  fall. 

These  judgments,  beginning  with  the  House  of  God, 
must  extend  to  all. 

Our  day  is  n«;led  by  the  Prophets  as  "  the  Day  of 
Jehovah." 

It  is  symbolically  stvitei  ''a  Dark  Day,"  a  "Day  of 
clouds,"  etc. 

Its  trouble  is  symbolically  likened  to  a  Hurricane,  to 
a  Flood,  to  a  Fire,  etc.,  these  strong  figures  being  used 
to  give  an  appreciation,  yet  to  hide  the  real  nature,  of 
that  'Time  of  Trouble  such  as  Never  Has  been  since 
there  was  a  Nation." — Dan.  12:1. 

Preparations  for  this  symbolic  "Fire"  and  "Tempest" 
are  now  well  under  way  and  shortly  will  rage  furi- 
ously throughout  the  world. 

It  will  be  a  contest  between  Masses  and  Classes. 
Many  see  it  upon  us  and  trust  to  various  schemes  to 
avert  it. 

But  all  worldly  Schemes  and  Panaceas  will  fail  utterly. 
God's  Kingdom,  the  only  hope  for  Church  and  world, 
is  sure. 

Man's  extremity  will  prove  to  be  God's  opportunity— 
in  the  establishment  of  God's  Kingdom — Christ's  Mil- 
lennial Kingdom  which  will  establish  righteousness 
by  force.— Rev.  2:26,  27;  Dan.  2:34,  35,  44,  45. 

All  these  subjects  are  simply  yet  forcefully  treated, 
and  Matthew  24th  Chapter  elucidated,  in 

"THE  BAmE  OF  ARMAGEDDON" 

(In  English,  German,  Swedish,  Finnish  and 
Dano-Norwegian.) 

720   PAGES— X;L0TH   bound,    60    CENTS,  POSTPAID   OR 
DELIVERED   BY  COLPORTEURS 

international  Bible  Students  Association 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Volume  V.  "Studies  in  the  Scriptures"  Series 


DCPWIHING  ISRflElSTyPICflL 
TOBERNflCLEflUDSflCRIHCCS 


THE  AT-ONE-MENT  IS  BELIEVED  IN  BY  ALL 

CHRISTIAN  BIBLE  STUDENTS 

Nevertheless,  but  few  could  explain  its  philosophy 
AI,Iy  SHOUI.D  KNOW 

About  the  great  Mediator  of  the  At-one-ment,  our 
l,ord  Jesus  Christ. 

Respecting  the  necessity  for  the  At-one-ment 
And  the  necessity  that  the  "Only  Begotten"  must  be 
"made  flesh,"  and  then  die,  and  then  rise  from  the 
dead  in  order  to  effect  the  At-one-ment. 
Respecting  the  office  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
connection  with  the  At-one-ment. 
And  the  important  part  of  the  At-one-ment  not  yet 
finished  —  which  awaits  the  Second  Coming  of  our 
Ivord  in  His  Kingdom  glory. 

Respecting  the  central  doctrine  of  At-one-ment. 
namely,  the  Ransom — what  it  was— why  it  was  and  is 
the  center  or  "hub"  around  which  and  into  which  all 
Bible  doctrines  fit. 

How  this  doctrine  is  the  test  of  the  truth  or  falsity  of 
all  doctrines;  so  that  once  understood  clearly  it  is  a 
guard  against  error  in  every  form. 
Respecting  man,  the  subject  of  the  great  At-one-ment, 
his  nature;  his  sin;  his  penalty;  his  deliverance 
through  Christ;  his  future  possibilities  through  accept- 
ance of  the  At-one-ment. 

All  these  interesting  and  very  important  themes 
are  lucidly  discussed  in  simple  language,  and  corro- 
borated by  fourteen  hundred  Scripture  citations,  in 

"THE  AT-ONE-MENT  BETWEEN  GOD  AND  MAN" 

(In  English,  German,  Swedish.  Finnish  and 
Dano-Norwegian.) 

600  PAOBS — CLOTH  BOUND  60  CENTS,  POSTPAID  0« 
DBLIVERBD  BY  COLPORTEURS. 

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Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


14  DAY  USE 

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